2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG A 35

The A-Class hatchback was a nice car and we all loved the AMG A-Class hot hatch but for some reason, Mercedes thought that the market needs a smaller performance luxury sedan and so here we have the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A 35 sedan and in this review, we shall have an in-depth tour of it and see if it is any good.

The AMG A 35 sedan is offered with only one trim level and is priced at $44950. The car gets only one powertrain option that comprises a 2-liter power plant mated to a 7-speed automatic gearbox with all-wheel drive as standard. The sedan comes with features like 18” AMG 5 spoke wheels, powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, MB-Tex upholstery, MBUX infotainment, and driver information system with two 10.25” screens and adaptive braking technology all as standard.

Trim	AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan
MSRP (AWD)	$44950
Key Features	18” AMG twin 5-spoke wheels with black accent
	Powered front seats with 3-position memory
	Dual-zone climate control
	MB-Tex upholstery
	Heated power side mirrors
	10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
	10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia display
	Steering-wheel touch control buttons
	MBUX infotainment system
	Panorama roof
	AMG sports exhaust system
	AMG sport suspension
	Adaptive braking technology
	LED headlamps and taillamps with daytime running lamps
	Rain-sensing wipers
	Crosswind assist

Which trim should you buy?

You only have one trim on offer and that’s all you can buy. Mercedes offers some optional packages that add up some interesting equipment to your car. We would recommend you to get the AMG Performance seat package which comes with heated, multi-contour seats developed by AMG. We also would suggest you pay $2250 extra and get the Driver Assistance package which adds features like Active Distance Assist, Active Steering Assist, Active Emergency Stop Assist, and many more and literally takes the safety quotient of the car to the very next level.

Under the hood of the AMG A35 sedan sits a turbocharged, 2-liter 4 barrel engine that churns out 302 horses and delivers 295 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to 7-speed SPEEDSHIFT dual-clutch automatic transmission tuned by AMG and sends power to all the four wheels via Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. There’s just one powertrain on offer and we don’t see any chance with Mercedes coming up with more powerful AMG A 45 and AMG A 45 S sedans in the future like it did with the AMG A hot-hatch. Just in case you happen to crave more power then you may opt for the AMG CLA 45 which roughly costs $10000 more than the AMG A 35. The 4 pot unit on this car is one of the nicest engines of its kind in the market. It is always happy to rev high and wants you to test its limits. Accompanied by the AMG exhaust tips, the engine grunt is pure joy to the ears. The dual-clutch transmission blends extremely well with the engine and responds to all your torque and power requirements swiftly. The 4MATIC AWD system also does an excellent job of getting you enough traction to zip past the traffic while in the city or to make an overtaking maneuver on the racetrack while racing wheel-to-wheel. Overall, Mercedes-AMG has done a great job in crafting the powertrain of the A 35 sedan and there’s nothing really that you can complain about.

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
MSRP	$44950	$45500	$43000	$44345
Engine	2.0L, turbocharged, inline 4 cyl.	2.0L, twin-turbo, inline 4 cyl.	2.0L, turbocharged, inline 4 cyl.	3.5L, V6
Drivetrain	AWD	AWD	AWD	AWD
Transmission	7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT automatic	8-speed sport automatic	7-speed S Tronic DCT automatic	6-speed automatic
Power (hp @ rpm)	302 @5800	301 @5000	288 @5400	311 @4600
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm)	295 @3000	331 @1750	280 @1900	280 @4800

The Lexus IS 350 with its large 3.5-liter V6 engine makes the best in competition 311 horses while on the other hand the engine of the BMW is tuned to deliver the best in competition torque of 331 lb-ft.

How fast is the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan?

The AMG A 35 comes with a zestful powertrain and is one of those cars that you would want to take on the track and have fun with. The 302 turbocharged horses produced by the AMG unit propel the car to the 60 mph mark in only 4.7 seconds. Official figures of the car’s quarter-mile acceleration aren’t yet announced by Mercedes but we expect the car to be quick and do the quarter-mile in under 14 seconds. The top speed of the car has been electronically limited to 155 mph.

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
0-60 MPH (seconds)	4.7	4.6	4.6	5.7
Quarter-Mile (seconds)	NA	13.8	14	14.1
Top-Speed (MPH)	155	155	155	143
Engine	2.0L, turbocharged, inline 4 cyl.	2.0L, twin-turbo, inline 4 cyl.	2.0L, turbocharged, inline 4 cyl.	3.5L, V6
Emissions (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15k mi/yr)	NA	NA	7.0	7.7

The BMW and the Audi are quicker than the Mercedes by only one-tenth of a second in terms of 0-60 mph acceleration while the Lexus happens to be the slowest of the lot in spite of having the highest power numbers. The BMW also has the best in competition quarter-mile acceleration time of 13.8 seconds

Ride and Handling

It is not just the powertrain that’s been tweaked for the AMG A 35 but the suspensions and the steering too have been tuned to offer a sportier ride and handling dynamics compared to the regular A-Class sedan. This sedan gets AMG Sport suspensions and Mercedes says that the setup teams up tenacious handling with refined composure. The suspension system is a bit on the stiffer side that minimizes body roll and makes the car stick to the ground. If you happen to take it on bad roads, you will certainly get a bump or a pothole through your spine but on better roads and at high speeds, the car stays extremely agile and gives you all the confidence in the world to throw it around the corners. The sedan gets an electromechanical steering wheel that reacts quickly to your inputs and offers a good amount of feedback. Mercedes has integrated a feature that they call STEER CONTROL. Mercedes claims that the STEER CONTROL system in an event of handling instability transmits a noticeable force to the steering wheel to prompt the driver and make him/her turn the wheel in either direction to restore stability. The car also comes equipped with an AMG DYNAMIC SELECT system that offers you four drive modes (comfort, slippery, sport, sport+, and individual) which alters the character of the engine, throttle response, gear shift points, steering effort, the ESP, and the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system according to the mode you’re driving in.

Braking performance

We often just end up talking about the power numbers and acceleration timings but easily ignore the braking ability of the cars. The A 35 is a powerful car and thus it is essential that it gets a strong set of brakes. The sedan gets an AMG High-performance braking system that offers perforated and ventilated 13.8-inch diameter discs at the front and 12.9-inch diameter discs at the rear along with a silver painter 4 –piston fixed calipers with black AMG lettering. The A 35’s brakes are yet to be tested for stopping distance but we’re pretty sure that it will perform well and won’t disappoint.

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
Brake Rotors: Front (inches)	13.8	NA	13.4	13.1
Brake Rotors: Rear (inches)	12.9	NA	12.2	12.2
Curb Weight (lbs)	3461	3605	3494	3594
60-0 (feet)	TBD	106	107	128

The Mercedes has the largest set of brakes in the competition but the braking performance stats are yet to be declared. The BMW M235i has the best braking performance in the competition and comes to a complete halt at a distance of 106 feet when the brakes are hit at 60 mph.

One of the best qualities of the AMG A 35 is that it strikes a good balance between power and fuel economy. In the city, the car goes for about 24 miles on a gallon of fuel while on the highway it goes for about 31 miles. The car gets a combined EPA rating of 27 mpg which is impressive for a compact luxury sports sedan like this.

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
MPG (City)	24	TBD	22	20
MPG (Highway)	31	TBD	29	28
MPG (Combined)	27	TBD	25	23
Fuel Capacity (Gallons)	13.5	13.2	14.5	17.4
Range (City/Highway/Combined, in Miles)	324/418.5/364.5	TBD	319/420.5/362.5	348/487/400

The Mercedes is better than all its rivals in terms of fuel economy. The Audi is next best to the Mercedes and offers a combined economy of 25 mpg and is followed by the Lexus which offers a combined economy of 23 mpg.

The interiors of the AMG A 35 sedan are typical Mercedes- high-quality materials, top levels of fit and finish, and great ambiance, The dashboard and the center console are nicely laid out with the jet-turbine style air-con vents sitting right in the middle of the dash. You also get a 64-color LED ambient lighting with illuminated vents as standard which sets the interior color of the car according to your mood. The car can accommodate 5 passengers and offers good space for its class. The interior and the seats come wrapped in MB-Tex faux leather which is a bit disappointing. You buy a $45000 car from a German luxury brand and then you have to extra for availing leather-trimmed seats which are something you would find as standard in cars a segment below it. The standard front seats offered are pretty nice and offer good bolstering and can be power adjusted in 12 different positions and also come with 4-way adjustable lumbar support. You can also by paying extra to avail the AMG Performance seats which feature integrated head restraints and AMG badges and power-adjustable side bolsters. The rear bench seat is comfortable as well but the passenger sitting in the center might just feel a little bit cramped. This is a compact car and the amount of head, shoulder, and legroom is pretty decent for its size. Mercedes has sacrificed the luggage space for interior room and there are just 8.8 cubic feet of cargo space available

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Front Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)	40.3/55.1/41.8	39.8/55.5/41.4	36.5/54.8/41.2	38.2/55.9/44.8
Rear Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)	37.2/54/33.9	35.7/53.1/34.4	36.1/53/35.1	36.9/53.4/32.2
Trunk Capacity (cubic feet)	8.6	8.8	10	10.8

Just by looking at the figures, you can say that Mercedes offers the best passenger space. Yes, it ends up offering a tiny trunk but it does that to keep you a little bit more comfortable on the inside.

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The AMG A 35 comes equipped with Mercedes' latest MBUX infotainment system. The system basically comprises two large 10.25-inch screens one of which sits directly in front of the driver and functions as a driver information system and navigation screen while the other screen sits on top of the center of the dash through which you can control all the multimedia and interior features. Standard infotainment features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth audio streaming, HD radio, and voice control with natural language understanding. You can control the infotainment system by just calling out the ‘Hey Mercedes’ keyword and the system activates and you can tell the car what you want it to do. To up the in-car entertainment experience, we would also suggest you opt for the premium Burmester surround sound system. The system consists of a 9-channel, 590-watt digital amplifier and 12 speakers that deliver crisp audio quality and take the in-ride music quality to the very next level.

The face AMG A 35 sedan bears a lot of similarity with the regular A-Class sedan and the older AMG A 35 hatchback. Nonetheless, the A 35 sedan is a handsome looking car and turns a good number of heads with its looks. The design language of the car is pretty straight and simple and Mercedes has not gone out-of-way to add some unnecessary fancy bits. The design is subtle and confident and that perfectly matches the overall character of the car. The car gets a long and wide nose with a strong shoulder line flowing from the large Mercedes logo mounted in the center of the grille. The LED headlights along with the boomerang LED daytime running lights to look striking and complete the aggressive front facia of the car. In spite of its compact proportions, the car gets a strong stance and looks athletic. The hatch A 35 looked great and so does the new A 35 sedan.

Models	Mercedes- AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan	BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe	Audi S3 Sedan	Lexus IS 350
Curb Weight (lb)	3461	3605	3494	3594
Length (inches)	179.4	178.5	175.8	184.3
Width (inches)	78.4	70.9	70.7	71.3
Height (inches)	55.6	55.9	54.8	56.3
Ground Clearance (inches)	NA	NA	4.7	NA
Wheelbase (inches)	107.4	105.1	106.3	110.2

Exterior features:

• 18” AMG twin 5-spoke wheels with black accents
• Panoramic roof
• LED headlights and taillights
• LED daytime running lights
• Heated power side mirrors
• AMG Sport exhaust with chrome polished twin tailpipes
• AMG body styling
• Optional 19” AMG wheels

The AMG A 35 hasn’t yet been tested by the NHTSA and IIHS but this is a Mercedes at the end of the day and you can rest assured of the safety quotient of the car. The compact sedan is loaded with safety features and some of them that stand out are listed below:

• 1. Active brake assist
• 2. Attention assist
• 3. Crosswind assist
• 4. Adaptive braking technology
• 5. Surround-view system
• 6. Active lane-keep assist
• 7. Evasive steering assist

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC sedan vs. BMW M235i xDrive Gran Coupe

The BMW M235i is the sportier 4-door version of the 2 Series coupe and is one of the hottest compact luxury cars on the market. The BMW and the Mercedes compete with each other very closely. They are priced similarly and they have similar power and performance numbers as well. The Mercedes gets slightly better fuel economy and also offers a little bit of extra passenger space. On the flip-side, the BMW has slightly better acceleration timings and a slightly larger trunk. This makes it really difficult to choose a clear winner in this competition since both the cars are equally good, but the machine from Bavaria is obviously a little more fun to toy around with its RWD biased xDrive. You might just want to buy both of them if you can!

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC sedan vs. Audi S3 Sedan

The Audi S3 is the sportier version of the Audi A3. The S3 makes about 288 horses, about 14 fewer than the Mercedes. The Audi also consumes more gas than the Mercedes while, on the other hand, the Mercedes is slower than the Audi just by one-tenth of a second in terms of 0-60 mph acceleration. The A 35 offers more passenger room while the Audi has got the better trunk volume. Once again the competition here is cut-throat but we think that Mercedes has a slight upper hand here. The Audi isn’t a bad car at all but the Mercedes just gets a little bit of edge over it.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC sedan vs. Lexus IS 350

The Lexus IS 350 is the Japanese rival of the AMG A 35 and comes with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine. The Lexus has got more power onboard than the Mercedes but it somehow fails to convert the power figures into performance numbers. The A 35 gets the better fuel economy numbers while the Lexus has got a large trunk and slightly scores better in terms of practicality. The Lexus is fancy and also looks better and striking than the subtle AMG A 35If you crave a V6 powered car, need something different from the mainstream performance luxury brands like Mercedes, Audi, and BMW, and also want something radically different and beautiful then you might just buy the Lexus IS 350. Otherwise, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 makes much more sense.

The AMG A 35 sedan largely based on its outgoing A 35 hatchback. This move helps Mercedes foray into the compact luxury performance sedan market which is largely dominated by cars said in the review. But with the AMG A 35 sedan, Mercedes has made it clear to the rivals that it means business and is here to take up a large share in the market. The sedan does all the things right and betters all its rivals in pretty much all the areas and that’s what makes it a very desirable proposition. The car offers great value and if you happen to be in the market looking for a compact luxury performance sedan, then you should totally buy the AMG A 35 sedan. It wouldn’t disappoint you.