Mercedes-Benz AMG A35 review

The powertrain and chassis spec, and the sense of quality, do a lot to justify the £35,580 entry price. Add all the option packs (which mostly amount to trim levels really) plus the aerokit and active dampers and you end up at a stiff £46,250. Mind you, there’s no point in comparing that optioned-up price with rivals as they simply can’t provide the sorts of driver-assist or display or connectivity tech that the A35 offers.

Annoyingly, you can’t spec CarPlay/Android Auto integration (which is £495) unless you first pony up for the Executive equipment pack which widens the central screen to 10.25 inches and adds leathered heated seats and parking assist, Still at £1,395, that pack is pretty good value. The aero pack is £2,595.

The CO2 is 167g/km, and the fuel consumption a competitive 38.7mpg. In reality it’s pretty efficient too – you’ll hit 32-34mpg easily, 26 if you’re a regular B-road enthusiast. The on-paper numbers are worse than the old A45, but that’s due to the change in the testing procedure from NEDC to WLTP. Warranty is three years over an unlimited mileage.

Merc has a good range of finance packages, and its Agility programme is offering the A35 for £5,500 down followed by 48 monthly payments of £399.