2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 S v A35: Dragparison

The all-new Mercedes-AMG A45 S takes the hot hatch game to the next level, both in terms of performance and price.

It packs a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that pushes out 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque, using a new all-wheel drive system to make it more engaging and rear-biased.

The Mercedes-AMG A35, on the other hand bridges the gap between the A250 and the A45 S by offering a middle ground that is punchy, but isn’t quite as aggressive as the A45.

How close are they in terms of styling and performance? We hit the drag strip to find out how quick the A45 S is in comparison to the A35 – and explore the styling differences.

Check out our detailed written and video review of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG A45 S here, or if you’re time poor, you can see the performance figures below.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S v A35 tests

In our Dragparison video, we’ll do the following comparison tests

• Performance specification comparison: what’s the difference between the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and Mercedes-AMG A35?
• Sound test: sure, they share similar badges but how different do they sound?
• Acceleration tests: can the A45 S and A35 match their respective performance claims?
• Drag race: how much faster is the fire-breathing A45 S in comparison to the A35?
• Brake test: which car stops quicker? Do the big brakes on the A45 S help it pull up earlier?

Mercedes-AMG A45 S engine specifications

The most powerful four-cylinder production engine comes in the form of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol producing 310kW of power and 500Nm of torque, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

It manages to pump out those figures courtesy of a roller bearing twin-scroll turbocharger that dials up an incredible 2.1bar (30.5PSI) of boost pressure at its peak.

The system uses an electronic waste-gate instead of a traditional pneumatic setup, which helps with boost control and better ramping of the turbocharger.

The engine itself has been rotated 180 degrees over the outgoing model, which places the turbocharger at the rear of the engine, closer to the cabin. This reduces the amount of plumbing required and ultimately increases efficiency. Official acceleration figures come in at 3.9 seconds from 0-100km/h – you can see our figures below.

Beneath the skin, the AMG engineers were involved in the A-Class engineering process from the body-in-white stage, which meant they were able to add extra bracing for the A45 S to better deal with the level of performance on offer.

Mercedes-AMG A35 engine specifications

Power in the A35 comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine outputting 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque.

Rather than a detuned version of the weapons-grade engine from the A45 S, it has its roots in more conventional A-Class models. Rest assured the wick has been turned up to 11, and there’s a suitably noisy exhaust on hand.

A45 S v A34 performance figures

MORE: Watch more CarExpert Dragparisons MORE: Mercedes-AMG A45 S detailed review MORE: Mercedes-AMG CLA35 detailed review