Bridging the huge gap between the A45 and the lesser models of the A-Class range, the new A35 is being developed to take on the Audi S3. It will fight both Ingolstadt’s Sportback and Sedan as the cheapest AMG model will be offered in five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles. It will be the same story with the RS3 and A45 duel as AMG’s boss, Tobias Moers, told Car and Driver the next-gen A45 is going to be sold as a hatch and as a sedan.
The man in charge at Affalterbach announced the first-ever A35 will boast “around 300 horsepower,” without going into any other details about what will become the entry point into the AMG family. The “A45’s little brother” as it has been described by Moers is expected to debut later this year, following the launch of the regular A-Class Sedan in a couple of weeks at the Beijing Motor Show in China.
The A-Class Sedan has been confirmed for a U.S. launch and it will likely come along with both the hotter A35 and A45 derivatives. The former could be out in North America as early as the 2019 model year, with the latter arriving for the 2020MY. As far as the equivalent hatchbacks are concerned, sadly these won’t be coming to the U.S.
The A35 is expected to feature a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine set to power the other “35” compact models from Mercedes-AMG, such as the GLA35 crossover and the CLA35 swoopy sedan. Spy shots have shown a GLB boxy crossover with G-Class cues is also in the works, but it’s too early to say whether that one will get the “35” treatment.
Moers’ statement might be a bit conservative as a reported from February emerging from Australian media suggested the “35” models would have 335 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. It is believed the aforementioned four-cylinder engine will get an electrically assisted turbo and 48-volt mild hybrid technology. Power will be channeled to all four wheels thanks to the 4Matic setup.
We will likely get to see the first “35” model in the second half of the year, presumably in Paris early October or almost two months later in Los Angeles.
Source: Motor1
