Mercedes has pulled a sneaky one by quietly introducing its new high-performance AMG A35 4MATIC hot-hatch into the SA market. Indeed, a quick visit to the brand's local website will in fact disclose that Stuttgart's Golf R rival is now available to purchase.
How much is it you ask? Well a bog-standard Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC will set you back a cool R754,946 – R73,946 dearer than the Golf R and exactly R63,646 more than the Honda Civic Type R.
Some of the standard features included for the money are sports seats, Thermatic automatic climate control, active lane keeping assist as well as a basic MBUX multimedia system. 18-inch five-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels come fitted as standard but you can specify larger 19-inch alternatives should you so wish. In fact there are options for days and you can spend a lot of time and money on customising your A35 to suit your tastes.
Performance wise this new Mercedes is quick thanks to its 2.0-litre turbocharged motor that produces 225kW and 400Nm of torque. Sprinting from a standstill to 100km/h takes a claimed 4.7-seconds while the car's top speed has been governed to 250km/h.
