Sunday Drive: Mercedes-AMG A 35 Sedan

Sunday, 28 June 2020

Hatch or sedan? Mercedes offers the choice in the AMG A 35.

MERCEDES-AMG A 35 SEDAN

Base price: $89,700
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline-four, 225kW/400Nm, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWD, combined economy 7.4L/100km, CO2 170g/km (source: RightCar).

Vital statistics: 4549mm long, 1992mm wide, 1446mm high, 2729mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 420 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Quick off the line, looks great.

See? No hatch here. Whether it looks better or not is up to you but it's certainly a handsome car in its own right.

We don't like: Too much road roar, suspension could be too stiff for some.

Fancy the Mercedes-AMG A 35 hatchback but want something a little more… corporate? How about the A 35 Sedan?

Inside is a standard AMG affair. It's a lovely interior, aside from that weird reflection in the centre display...

Aside from the body shape there aren't any major differences between the two - the sedan gains a bit of luggage space over the hatch (420L vs 370L, offset by the hatch’s ability to fold the seats) but otherwise, it’s the same hot A-Class you know and love. Does it look better? That's really up to you but personally I'd take the three-box styling of the sedan.

**READ MORE:

Regardless of body shape, the A 35 is a winner and certainly worthy of consideration as a sub-$100k do-everything car.

* Road Test review: Hyundai i30 N Fastback

* Five hot not-hatches

* Road test review: Mercedes-AMG A35

AMG doesn’t slot a bespoke engine into the A 35 twins (that honour is reserved for the scorching A 45 S), instead tuning Mercedes’ existing 2.0-litre engine up to 225kW and 400Nm, rivalling the 220kW/400Nm Volkswagen Golf R in the hatchback world and Audi’s similarly powered S3 for sedans (a forbidden fruit for us Kiwis). Though, it pays to mention the A 35 is a new model, launching last year, while the S3 received a small update at the same time. VW, meanwhile, is due to replace the Golf R in the next year or so.

The A 35 sedan gets 4Matic all-wheel drive as standard, ‘Ride Control’ adaptive damping, five different drive modes, an AMG-specific variable exhaust and a snappy seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. There are a bunch of other tweaks to the normal A Class sedan as well, like specific bodywork, a unique radiator grille, AMG-tuned steering and improved brakes.

Mercedes is positioning the sedan as a Goldilocks vehicle, something you can buy as a single car for a small family that looks better than most small SUVs and still packs a punch for when you want it. It won’t break the bank and gives you a genuine ticket to the AMG club.

But the big question is: does it go as hard as the hatch?

Happily, it sure does. In Sport Plus mode the shifts are fast and the engine pulls from what feels like idle, though the torque curve is so flat you can get away with shifting early. In fact, that’s sometimes more rewarding because you then get more revs to enjoy in the next gear. It won’t pin you back in your seat like big brother A 45 will, nor will it offer the sheer driving pleasure of something like the Civic Type R but the 35 is undeniably quick and a hell of a lot of fun.

The Pirelli P Zero rubber holds on well, even in the damp, aided by the all-wheel drive system divvying power between the wheels as necessary. I should mention that the sporty tyres introduce quite a lot of road roar at most speeds which reduces the do-it-all appeal of the sedan. Not helping is the firm suspension, even when set to Comfort mode. AMG clearly had a “sports car first, family car second” approach, for better or worse.

Additionally, if you’re hunting a crackly, rorty four cylinder, you’re fast running out of time. The A 35 sounds good but it doesn’t have the adolescent thrill of the Hyundai i30 N or the dearly-departed Ford Focus RS. That sort of sound is on its last legs, thanks to emissions restrictions… At least, if you want to retain your warranty by keeping the factory exhaust system.

RIght about now is where we would go into a bit more detail about what else plays in the same segment as the A 35 sedan, but here's the thing; there actually aren’t that many in the sub-$100k warm sedan area.

BMW has the M235i xDrive, which starts at $91,400 and offers a 225kW/450Nm turbo-four. Mercedes will also sell you the AMG CLA 35, which is essentially a fastback version of the A 35 Sedan, if you prefer that sort of look. It starts at $88,700

If you just want a fast four-door sedan and aren't too fussed with the luxury badge there you could consider Hyundai’s i30 N Fastback, which dials back some of the luxury, drops power to 202kW/369Nm (and punches it entirely through the front wheels) and forces you to shift gears yourself in favour of a lower sticker price of $59,990.

Alternatively, if you're open to electric power, the rear-drive entry-level Tesla Model 3 starts at $79,900 while the dual-motor Long Range kicks off at $97,900.