The Cheapest Mercedes-AMG Is Dead in the US

The price of entry for Mercedes’ AMG lineup just got a smidge higher because the performance sub-brand’s least expensive model, the A35 sedan, is reportedly getting the ax. As brought to our attention via Car Buzz and confirmed to us by a Mercedes spokesperson, the compact AMG will no longer be sold for model year 2022. What’s more, the car has been yanked from Mercedes-Benz’s official U.S. website, with the front-drive A220 and all-wheel-drive A220 4Matic being the only remaining models available under the A-Class range.

Merc didn’t give us a reason for the A35’s cancellation but it very well may be sales-related. Unfortunately, MB does not offer powertrain-specific breakdowns in its publicly available sales reports. For what it’s worth, the A-Class as a whole outsold the CLA by about 65 percent in Q3 2021 but lagged behind the more rugged GLA only by around 10 percent.

Starting at $46,900, the 2021 Mercedes-AMG A35 was powered by an “AMG-enhanced” (but not AMG hand-crafted, mind you) 2.0-liter turbo-four making 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Using a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the pocket-sized Mercedes got from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and topped out at 155 mph. Also available as a hatchback in places like Europe and Canada, it was only ever sold as a sedan in America.

With the A35 gone, those looking to get into an AMG vehicle for the least amount of money will have to go for the $48,950 CLA35 “coupe”(essentially an A 35, but swoopier) or the marginally cheaper, higher-riding $48,600 GLA35 “SUV” (A 35 again, but lifted).

Anywho, I’ve reached out to Mercedes for more details and will update this story when I hear back. 

Got a tip or question for the author about the A 35? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com