Mercedes-Benz AMG A-Class Sedan

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Overview

First introduced in 2019, the V177 2022 Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon is now locally-assembled like the rest of the non-AMG A-Class range in Pekan, making it the highest variant of the compact car to be given the CKD treatment. As it is now a CKD model, the price tag is RM5k lighter, and at the same time, the specification sheet features a few more toys that the CBU model did not have.

The Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon CKD is priced now at RM343,888 and for comparison’s take, the new Volkswagen Golf R and the slightly outdated BMW M135i are priced at RM391,162 and RM386,646 respectively.

Yes, the other two are only available as hatchbacks, but the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC, though in Saloon guise, is pretty much a hatchback as well, with its really short and petite boot.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Exterior

The CBU and CKD versions of the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon are identical in their exterior guises. This performance sedan gets the full AMG Line styling pack that includes aggressive front air intakes and more substantial side skirts, while the twin louvre grille and glossy black surround on the corner of the front bumper instantly differentiates this hotter model from its regular siblings. At the rear is a classy bootlid spoiler and a unique diffuser with two circular exhausts pipes.

The Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon sits on 19-inch twin-spoke alloys, with larger cross-drilled brake discs that measure 350 mm and 330 mm at the front and rear respectively. There is no option for an AMG Aerodynamics Package, so what you see is what you’ll get.

Colour options are Polar White, Cosmos Black, Iridium Silver, Mountain Grey, and Denim Blue.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Interior

Just like the exterior, the interiors of the locally-assembled and fully-imported models are also the same. The giant twin 10.25-inch infotainment and instrument display is taken straight off a normal A-Class, but here in the performance model it has unique instrument displays. Right below it is the beautifully-designed AMG Performance steering wheel upholstered in Dinamica microfiber and Nappa leather, while the front sport seats (no option for AMG performance seats) can be had in either Artico synthetic leather or Dinamica microfiber. 

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Features

All features available on the CBU model are available to the CKD as well. When the 2019 fully-imported model was introduced, it had Multibeam LED headlights with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus, keyless entry with push-start button, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, power-adjustable front seats, 64-colour ambient lighting, a tyre repair kit, extended MBUX functions, wireless handphone charging, heads-up display, and Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity.

In the safety department, aside from the usual equipment, this car gets Active Brake Assist (autonomous emergency braking), Active Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Pre-Safe, tyre-pressure monitoring, and Active Park Assist, and a reverse camera.

On the CKD Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon, all these are available with a few other extra features. The reverse camera has been replaced with a 360-degree system, and basic keyless-entry of the CBU is now a Keyless-Go comfort pack. Meanwhile, the MBUX system has also been augmented, becoming an MBUX Interior Assistant as well.

There are no semi-autonomous driving features available, though we think that is not a bad thing - who buys an AMG and leaves the driving the a computer?

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Powertrain

The powertrain of this CKD AMG model is the same one used in other entry-level AMGs. Powering the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon is a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-pot petrol powerplant that makes 306 PS at 5,800 rpm, and 400 Nm of torque from 3,000 – 4,000 rpm. These figures go through a 7-speed AMG Speedshift 7G DCT, and then onto all four wheels via the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, which can put up to 50% of the drive to the rear-wheels.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Driving Performance

With the Race-Start launch control system, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon will hit 100 km/h from a standstill in 4.8 seconds, and keep going until it hits a limited top speed of 250 km/h.

Especially during cold starts, the engine rumbles to life with pops and crackles is simply music to the ears, which gives the impression of, well, uncouthness. However, on the move, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon is a remarkably well-behaved car that gets up to speed easily, stops easily, and moves around the twisty bits easily. So easily, in fact, that the driver sometimes feels like they are not so involved in the drive, and is in it more for the ride. Make no mistake, it is a fun car up to a certain point, but beyond eight-tenths there are certainly more rewarding performance cars out there.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Ride Comfort

All this capability and easiness comes at a price – ride comfort. Performance cars on the A-Class platform have been known to be, to put it gently, mad firm, and the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon is no different. This is fine when you are on a B-road, or having fun on a highway like Karak, but it is too much on pockmarked city roads where it will spend most of the time. Similarly, the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is by-and-large innocuous and sophisticated, but in stop-go traffic, a little too much throttle will cause an unintended and overly enthusiastic hop into a lower gear, accompanied by a boisterous and equally unintended change in exhaust note.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Fuel Economy

Mercedes-Benz claims a combined fuel consumption of 7.1 – 7.2 l/100km for the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon on the WLTP, and combined CO2 emissions stands at 164 – 167 g/km. 

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon – Conclusion

Stepping into the Mercedes-AMG world is now easier than ever before with the new entry-level models across the stable of the carmaker, and of them all, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Saloon perhaps represents the doorway with the easiest point of entry. No, it does not have the outright spine-tingling performance and experiences that are synonymous with AMG, but we would say that it is four-fifths there already in terms of feelings and sensations. In saloon format, we love how the thing looks and this is one car that owners will definitely look back at when they walk away.