Canada’s hot hatch segment is now even hotter

The loss of the Focus RS and the Fiesta ST have left a gaping hole in the hot hatch market, not only in Canada, but in most of the world. Europe and the UK get more options in this segment from the likes of Peugeot and others, but in Canada the only real options left are the Volkswagen Golf GTi and Golf R, Honda Civic Type R and the new for 2019 Hyundai Veloster N. However for the 2020 model year Canada will finally be getting the Mercedes A35 AMG.

I have been a fan of the last generation Mercedes A45 AMG and was very disappointed that it was never available in Canada. Mercedes have answered my wished by bringing the new A35 (and hopefully the new A45 when it is released) to Canada for the 2020 model year.

The new A35 will come with a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque at 3000 RPM. The engine will be mated to a 7 speed dual clutch DSG gearbox as standard. That horsepower combined with the standard 4Matic all wheel drive system will propel the A35 from 0-100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds. While this isn’t the same level of power as the outgoing A45, which had 355 hp, the A35 is still able to beat the competition in this segment. The closest rival, the Civic Type R, will do 0-100 km/h in a mere 5.2 seconds.

The infotainment system has been plucked from other new AMG models, such as the E63 and G63, fully digital dash using a 12.3 inch dash and 10.25 inch infotainment section. The dashboard will be available in 3 different configurations: Classic, Sport and Supersport. According to Mercedes “The Supersport mode is particularly striking with a central, round rev counter and additional information presented in the form of bars to the left and right of the rev counter: with a three-dimensional perspective, they reach far into the background to an artificial horizon.“

Expect the new A35 AMG to go on sale mid-2019 with pricing anticipated to start around $55,000, although no official number have been released.