MODELTESTED: Mercedes-AMG A 35 4Matic
PRICE: £38,825 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 302bhp
Running costs
27.0mpg (on test)
£59 fill-up/£150 or 37% tax
Practicality
Boot (seats up/down)
370/1,210 litres
Performance
0-62mph/top speed
4.7 seconds/155mph
MERCEDES is a relative newcomer at this level of the hot hatch market, but the £38,825 AMG-tuned A 35 is a talented machine. Does its ability run deep enough to overpower Audi’s new S3?
Design & engineering
LIKE the S3, this A 35 was baked into the product plan from the start, along with the forthcoming Audi RS 3 and the current Mercedes-AMG A 45 S, which represent the range-toppers in their respective line-ups.
Here, AMG’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces slightly less power than the S3, at 302bhp, but an identical 400Nm of torque. An extra 80kg…
