The A35 is the entry-level car in AMG’s lineup, and until the 2023 model year, the company went to great lengths to remind owners of that, denying them the Panamericana grille that marked out every other AMG machine. A facelift revealed in the fall of 2022 gave the A35 the A45’s toothy mouth at the same time the whole A-Class lineup was updated, but now it looks like the AMG team has been fiddling with the baby AMG again.
These spy shots show an AMG A-Class sedan that we can tell is an A35 because there isn’t an A45 sedan, the more powerful engine only coming in the hatch and CLA coupe body styles, where it’s equipped with four tailpipes rather than the two seen on this prototype.
Disguise on the nose and tail is keeping the lights, front bumper and lower portion of the trunk-lid partially hidden, but from what we can see the lamps are the exact same ones unveiled in late 2022, and the shape of the intakes in the front bumper appears unchanged, too.
Related: 2023 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, AMG A35 And A45 Get The Most Subtle Of Updates
So what is AMG up to? The rear lip spoiler is different to the one fitted to the current A35, looking more like the one bolted to the rear of the AMG-fettled CLA, and we’re pretty sure the AMG team has fitted brand badges at the base of the C-pillar (covered by tape in these pictures).
Maybe AMG is simply looking at giving the A35 one last sales push via a final update before the axe falls. If that’s its plan then it needs to get moving because the word is that both the A- and B-Class will be dropped before the end of 2025. Mercedes wants to slim down the number of smaller, more affordable cares and refocus on being a true luxury brand, though the CLA coupe will apparently be allowed to live on.
We don’t know what AMG has planned – if anything – under the hood of the A35, which currently sends 302 hp (306 PS) from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four to all four wheels via a dual-clutch transmission. Many hot compact rivals make more power these days, so AMG might feel the need to squeeze another 20 hp (20 PS) out of the engine to get it back on track for its final race.
