The 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbo petrol engine in AMG trim delivers 302bhp and 400Nm, and the 35 is no slouch. Coupled with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive and a crackling launch control system, the GLA35 AMG hits 0_100 km/h in about 5 seconds. The GLA35 is very vicious. There's relentless pull from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. The mid-range surge is intoxicating, as the 35 keeps firing forward without any lag. The engine never loses power - progress only slows when self-preservation instincts kick in or you run out of open road.
There are five modes to choose from – Slippery, Comfort, Individual, Sport and Sport+. Each changes throttle response, damping (adaptive AMG dampers are standard), steering feel and transmission response. In Comfort mode, the engine and gearbox are quite soft, but in Sport mode, especially Sport+, the exhaust valves open, the steering and suspension stiffen, the shifts become sharper, and the throttle response becomes sharper— — It’s like Margot Robbie went from Sharon Tate to Harley Quinn very quickly. You have to like it!
Not long ago, the word "AMG" was translated as "MAD" in automotive poetry. Cars bearing the AMG badge are a hallowed terror in the minds and hearts of enthusiasts. They're kind of like a drunken knucklehead trailer - lots of horsepower, but the rear end is as willful as a hungover teenager. It used to be crazy to buy an AMG, but if you don't love their craziness, you're a lunatic. AMG cars have a brutal and ungodly appeal that BMW M and Audi RS cars lack. But times have changed now. Earlier, AMG used to handpick Mercedes cars that it deemed worthy of its engineering wizardry. Today, it has become a ritual for every Merc to receive the AMG treatment before leaving the factory. That's not to say they're any less cruel, though. If anything, Mercedes-AMG's high-end cars are meaner and crazier than before.