2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG A 35

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG A 35 is the cheapest new vehicle you can buy from Mercedes’ AMG division. Cheapest doesn’t mean cheap; it starts at $46,900. That price nets you one zesty small sedan that does not feel like a fake or lesser-than AMG product. The 35 series of AMGs are quickly growing in number — they started with the CLA 35 last year and have since expanded to its mechanically related GLA 35 and GLB 35 crossover cousins. Mercedes-AMG launched the A 35 for the 2020 model year, but we never got around to driving it. Turns out, much of our review of the 2020 CLA 35 (which we did drive) could be copied-and-pasted verbatim for the A 35. The two share a ton, which is no surprise given they’re two similarly-sized four-door sedans on the same front-drive-based compact car architecture with the same powertrains.  A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder shoves 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’s not the hand-built firecracker under the hood of the CLA 45 that’s capable of 382 horsepower, but 302 is still a respectable figure. Also note: there is no higher-performance A 45 version available in the U.S. — it’s A 220 and A 35 only. An AMG Performance all-wheel-drive system distributes power to all four wheels, sending a maximum of 50% power rearward. There’s no trick rear differential varying the torque across the rear axle as in the CLA 45. Like other AMG products, this one has launch control and it helps rocket the little sedan from 0-60 mph in a short 4.6 seconds. That’s identical to the M235i Gran Coupe and a touch quicker than the Cadillac CT4-V. This car’s biggest differentiator to the CLA 35 is its design. Where the CLA is a droopy and long coupe-like fellow, the A 35 appears short, stubby and tight. The A 35’s rearmost pillar is more upright and leads into a shorter, flatter rear deck than the CLA, giving it the appearance of a compact car — it's a good approach. The CLA’s 5.3 inches of additional length (both share a 107.4-inch wheelbase) moves it into C-Class territory for overall size. Mercedes uses the CLA’s extra space to give it a larger trunk than the A-Class, coming in at 11.6 cubic-feet versus the 8.6 cubes in the A (it's more usable than that paltry 8.6 would suggest). They have identical (and limited) rear seat utility, but the A 35 takes a win for taller folks due to a less head-infringing roofline (by about 2 inches). Similar to the CLA 35’s driving manners, you must be willing to commit to an always-on type of personality with the A 35. This engine is a game of give and take. Peak torque hits at 3,000 rpm, and there’s always a noticeably long bout of lag between foot down and forward thrust when taking off from a stop. It’s anemic enough off boost and potent enough on that driving smoothly takes more …
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