As the hot hatch game ... err ... 'warms up', discussion around the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A 35 and A 45 continues to warm up with it. And finally, after an extended period of online video teases and releases, local pricing has been confirmed.
Well, partially anyway. Pricing for the top-gun A 45 is still to be confirmed. But, Mercedes-Benz NZ has this afternoon unveiled pricing and spec for the A 35 4MATIC.
The hatch will arrive in local showrooms next month with a starting retail price of $85,800. The sedan version will arrive in the final quarter of 2019, with a retail price of $88,700. Neither price includes on-road costs.
Read more: Mercedes-AMG A 35 first drive — comfort and performance sweet spot
For that money, buyers will get a five-door hatch or four-door sedan powered by a twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, making 225kW of power and 400Nm of torque and sending it to all four corners of the car via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The sprint to 100km/h is said to take 4.7 seconds, with top speed electronically limited to 250km/h.
That pricing places the A 35 right up next to the $82,900 Audi S3 hatch and the $82,000 BMW M140i hatch.
For the record, the Audi S3's Volkswagen cousin — the Golf R — is priced starting at $69,490 for the manual, while the more powerful Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type R start at $69,880 and $59,990 respectively. Although, don't expect to be able to find many 'new' Focus RS models around given that a replacement is just around the corner.
Read more: Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake is a hot, 310kW wagon
The hype around the A 35 starts with the success of its platform; the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Introduced last year, the A-Class won global acclaim through its impressive level of tech and comfort. Included in that acclaim was top honours at last year's AA Driven New Zealand Car of the Year awards.
And then there's the A 35's big brother — the A 45 — which comes fitted with what AMG says is the most powerful four-cylinder engine ever made.
Expect both to be popular things on Kiwi roads, and keep an eye out for full road tests on Driven.