Battle of the Hot Hatch All-Stars: AMG A45 S vs AMG A35
One weighs and costs a bit less. One has a hand-built motor and a cool rear axle. Which hot hatch will win: the AMG A45 S, or the AMG A35?
In the United States, one can purchase an A-Class. Sedan. No hatches, alas. You can get an AMG A-Class, though it’s only the A35 Sedan, and its 2.0-liter turbo-four wasn’t hand-built. Meanwhile, Europeans can have a hot hatch in either AMG A35 or, for a bit more, AMG A45 S form. Feels like we’re missing out.
But by how much, though? Carwow‘s Mat Watson recently took the AMG A-Class pair out for a few tests to determine which AMG A-Class was Best AMG A-Class: the A35, or the A45 S.
“I’m sat in a Mercedes-AMG A45 S,” said Watson. “Next to me is a rather similar-looking Mercedes-AMG A35. We are gonna have a drag race. This may seem a foregone conclusion — and it is — this will win. No doubt about it […] but what I want to know is how much it will win by.”
Watson’s A45 S features a hand-built turbo-four cranking out 421 ponies, which hit the pavement through all corners through an eight-speed dual-clutch, plus a rear diff that can deliver power to the wheel with the most grip. Meanwhile, the A35 comes with a 306-horse turbo-four built by a robot, whose power hits the road through a seven-speed dual-clutch, and weighs a few hundred pounds less. There’s also a $17,000 or so difference between the two hot hatches ($69,000 for the A45 S, $52,000 for the A35).
“Let’s just talk about the look of these cars,” said Watson, “because they’re almost identical. The only visual difference is between the A45 S and the A35 are the fact that I’ve got a grille with vertical slats in it — which I prefer — compared to the old-fashioned AMG one with horizontal slats. The wheels are different. I’ve got red brake calipers, and I’ve got four exhaust pipes rather than two. But most people aren’t really going to spot the differences.”
That said, the A45 S has a trick the A35 doesn’t: drift mode. Once activated, the hotter hatch plays in the English wet like a kid in the rain. The A35, meanwhile, tries, but it struggles to be as smooth with tons of understeer. The real challenge, though, is in a straight line.
“This thing hooked up like you would not believe,” said Watson. “It may be wet, but this A45 does not care!”
Though things looked close at first, the A45 S pulled away hard off the line to take the win in 12.1 seconds; the A35 arrived in 13.4 seconds. The rolling race from 50 mph with full auto and in comfort mode left the A35 in the dust once more, a feat repeated in sport with manual shifting clicked on. Finally, the A45 S stopped two inches earlier than the A35 from 70 mph in an emergency stop.
In the end, you do get what you pay for. Now, if only Mercedes-AMG would bring the A35 and A45 S hot hatches over here.
Join the MB World forums now!
