Riding on the crest of a wave for the past few years, you may have either spotted, or been overtaken viciously by the outgoing AMG A45; Merc’s compact weapon of choice in the battle of the hottest-of-the-hot-hatches. Often bespoilered, although the full-blooded kit was always an option, hunkered to the tarmac and capable of emitting a most guttural exhaust note (via exhaust flaps), the A45 was no less than and a totally unexpected variant of THE most potent 2.0-litre hatchback produced for on-road use.
Producing well in excess of 360bhp, it needed its really trick four-wheel-drive system just to transmit power to the road, without spinning its tyres to a dark grey dust. Capable of despatching the 0-60mph benchmark in less than four seconds, before reaching its governed top speed of 155mph not long afterwards, the supercar taunting A45 was the king of hot hatchbacks.
Its day is not done. A new A45 will emerge soon from the AMG tuning arm of Merc, based at Affalterbach, northern Bavaria, which makes the new A35 something of a ‘hot starter course’. Armed with a 306bhp version of the 2.0-litre motor, it can still blitz to 60mph in a mere 4.5s, which is more than speedy enough for most land-based mortals. However, it also acts as a precursor for a vastly improved hot A-Class.
Merc, well, AMG at least, has reinforced the front-end of its entry-level volume car by increasing its torsional rigidity, which means effectively less body ‘twist’ and even more-honed chassis dynamics. Both turn-in and camber stability have been notched-up to meet the more instant throttle response of the turbocharged, all-alloy engine. Extensively re-engineered, the less punchy unit features several elements of advanced technology, to make it more refined, when not pressing-on, yet equally violent, should the driver decide to access its inner capabilities.
While using the ‘Race Start’ facility may seem hugely irresponsible, it is available through the 7-speed, twin-clutch, automated-manual gearbox for the penultimate acceleration blast from standstill (the ultimate tag is reserved for the forthcoming A45). Of course, traction is aided by the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system that automatically apportions engine torque to whichever wheel needs it. I can tell you that, as a thrill machine, AMG knows its manufacturing onions. Truth is, the A35 is not an unruly hooligan and feels as focused for pootling down to Tesco for the weekly shop, as it might be haring around Silverstone on a track day. It is genuinely that dichotomous.
Five driving dynamics settings are selectable, from ‘Slippery’, through the default ‘Comfort’ to both ‘Sport’ and ‘Sport+’, with a final, personally adjustable ‘Individual’ for those ultimate ‘nutty’ moments. Oh, come on! We all love a quiet road blast on rare occasions, so it might as well be in a car that can manage both the driver’s and its destiny to dynamic perfection.
While defeating the laws of physics has long been elemental to AMG’s remit to parent Merc and an A45 could be made to spin readily in its own length, the A35 is not quite as unruly, when dialled-in. A judicious blend of yaw and ride control, allied to remarkable brake performance, keeps A35’s wheels on the road. However, the electro-mechanical power steering rack is even better located than before and offers a selectable choice between ‘surgically accurate and fast’, or less frenetic ‘comfort’ settings.
Naturally, aerodynamic body addenda, refined in AMG’s wind tunnel, abound on the car’s exterior but the interior displays another round of serious refocusing, not least by incorporating the very up-market digital instrument panel kickstarted by the firm’s S-Class luxury model. It is multi-adjustable, in terms of what the driver wishes to prioritise of the wide screen potential. Yet, it is not space-robbing and the cabin feels both more spacious than before and even more flexible for a wide range of occupant statures.
Merc has made no bones about where it expects to see its new A-Class in the hearts and minds of both private and business motorists. However, the performance option has just increased by 100% and, even though the A35 is the new entry-level to super high-performance and is sure to make some potential buyers question the sanity of requesting an even heftier slice, it lacks none of the vibrancy of its punchier brother.
