2022 Mercedes A35 AMG review, first drive

While other luxury car makers are busy releasing “normal” luxury cars, Mercedes has done that and more. The brand enjoyed great success with the E-Class of sedans and SUVs as well as the fanfare of the S-Class derivatives of vehicles. However, there is one thing that surprisingly gets more attention than these, and that is AMG cars. AMG vehicles that are now present in the brand’s entire portfolio as well as cars with a “normal” powertrain have slowly gained attention. Raison? Many! Superior performance to “normal” petrol engines and similar flexibility in everyday use. The Mercedes A-Class was well received as the brand offered an 8-year warranty and a beautiful sedan with plenty of options to choose from. The Mercedes AMG A35 is one of them. Namely, even with a 3-year warranty, this Class A derivative has serious potential. How good is it? We discover!

On the outside, the butterfly taillights are a great addition to the A-Class. The new angular LED DRL in the front along with the AMG grille make the car one of the best entry-level AMG sedans to get out of Mercedes in the world. The C-pillar makes it look like a legitimate younger brother of the C-Class. A sporty bumper at both ends makes the A35 AMG look like a real European sports sedan. The build quality on the outside looks and sounds great and it scores high in crash tests like any other Mercedes. Overall, the elements of the car, such as the alloy wheels and a well-made grille, make the A35 AMG stand out in all the colors of the regular A-Class.

Inside, the build and quality are good, as is the long list of features we’ve explained time and time again in our previous review. The interior has fantastic turbine jet air vents and rocker switches which give the cabin a sporty and powerful look. You get automatic lights and wipers for rear view cameras, front and rear parking sensors, wireless chargers, ambient lighting and floodlights with LED lamps. The only thing we don’t like is browsing through music where the cursor is missing and using the touchpad on the steering wheel, you have to find it first, then navigate it to the track button, then the ‘utilize. The long tedious process can be solved by pressing the touch screen or using the buttons below. Something Mercedes should fix by simply initiating the pad slide on the steering, which should change assuming it’s a track change command and changing the track on the first try! Yes, this is the third time we mention the same fact with the Mercedes system which really needs an update!

The car has a large panoramic sunroof, AMG sports seats equipped with electric and memory functions. The missing equipment continues as it lacks ventilated seats, wireless Apple car play and Android Auto. However, the best part is the full screen offered behind the AMG steering wheel which extends all the way to the center and adds a technological aspect to the car making it easy to access all the features. The instrument cluster has everything you need, as previously explained in our A-Class review. There’s Mercedes ME, Concierge Service and all the other features hooked up to make it like the A-Class, but with more performance!

The space is more than adequate with enough shoulder and knee room that you would expect considering this is a performance sedan in disguise or a normal limo. Legroom and headroom continue to be adequate, but as always, this is a strict four-seater. Boot space is good enough at 400 liters but the space saver takes away space. Road noise inside the cabin is a little higher, but wind noise is well controlled thanks to good insulation. Like any other Mercedes, it’s still a great place to live thanks to multi-level filtration. The safety kit continues to be elevated with electronic stability control and eight airbags, hill hold assist, ABS and EBD, active brake assist and more. series.

The AMG petrol engines are smooth, free-revving and low NVH and that of the A35 is the same but with a load of boat power and torque. The 2.0l engine produces 301 BHP and 400 Nm of torque. The low and mid ranges are good on the engine. It all goes through a quick and smooth shifting 7-speed DSG automatic. The engine is flexible and powerful at the same time. The 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds is fast and the top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h is offered.

Off-line acceleration for a car that feels like a family car pulls so fast and forward that it forces you to concentrate really hard and when you do, it doesn’t disappoint. It ends up bringing the inner child out of you all at once, smiling all the way, until you hit the brakes. The soundtrack, of course, isn’t V8 thunder, but for a four-cylinder extracting 300 BHP, it’s good to hear that throaty exhaust note.

The high end is excellent when the boost kicks in. The engine can run at legal speeds and higher than that quite easily when desired. This makes it good enough for urban and road duties and makes driving comfortable. We’ve seen it hit 12 mph on the highway and 8 mph in the city, which isn’t too bad for a 300-hp entry-level sedan.

Ride quality is about compliant enough at all speeds and that’s nothing new with AMG cars. The steering gives enough feedback and is very precise at all speeds. It’s something that Mercedes does very well with all of its cars these days. The steering also weighs very well on the highway! High-speed stability is perfect thanks to the ideal balance between underlying stiffness and suspension compliance. The brakes were also good with excellent pedal bite and plenty of performance on offer. Body roll is negligible when changing lanes at high speeds and it’s still a very inspiring car to drive at any speed. Ground clearance on really badly made speed breakers is a problem, the rest of them can be dealt with easily.

Overall, with AWD, traction and grip aren’t a problem at all. They help launch the car and turn the car. One reason we love AWD cars these days is because they offer both fun and safety without compromising performance or fuel economy for that matter!

2022 Mercedes A35 AMG review, verdict

At Rs 69 lakhs on the road in most cities, the A35 is very good value for money. Of course, ground clearance and ride stiffness are things to keep in mind. However, it’s practical enough for the posh, well-paved areas of most cities, and why the A35 AMG should be on your list, at the top of it very specifically, to check out. Mechanically, aesthetically and in terms of value, the A35 ticks all the boxes. This makes them the most sought after AMGs in India which is surprisingly accessible and gives you a grand entrance into the world of AMGs.