Manufacturers have adapted to the specific needs of the Chinese automotive market, and one of the prime adaptations has to do with providing long-wheelbase versions of sedans they already sell elsewhere. Now, that may not seem especially ridiculous if you think about a C- or E-Class Mercedes, for instance, but an extended wheelbase version of the compact Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan? That’s certainly more unusual.

The China-Only 2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 L Sedan

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Mercedes pulled the wraps off the AMG A35L sedan at the 2019 Shanghai auto show, a model that is longer overall and all that extra length is translated into superior levels of rear legroom compared to what a regular AMG A35 offers. The wheelbase of the A35L is some 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) longer than that of the regular A35 sedan (increased from 2,729 to 2,789 millimeters), but we honestly couldn’t really tell it was any different from the side - that’s a good thing because some long-wheelbase versions of sedans do end up having strange proportions.

The front end of the Mercedes-AMG A35L is identical to that of the normal three-box A35, and as previously mentioned, the side profile doesn’t immediately give away the fact that it is stretched. It’s only from the rear that you spot something different is going on because you see the A35L badge, some Chinese script, a very aggressive looking rear diffuser with surrounds for the exhausts, and an additional trunk lid spoiler stuck onto the subtle ducktail all A-Class sedans have.

There’s also the AMG logo on the C-pillars to give it away as being the A35L and not the regular A35, but other than that, it won’t be immediately obvious to anybody which version this is. All Mercedes-AMG A35L examples will come with the AMG Night package that swaps out all chrome accents for glossy black ones and also adds heat insulating tinted rear windows.

No changes have been made to the layout and design of the interior, so you get the same two-screen setup as in any current compact Mercedes model (except for the GLA that has yet to be replaced; the last of the series to get a replacement). The powertrain also remains untouched, so you get the same 2.0-liter four-pot turbo with 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque sent to all four wheels.

It is a tad slower to sprint than the regular A35 sedan, though, as its claimed time from naught to 100 km/h or 62 mph increases from 4.7 seconds to 4.9 seconds. Top speed for both versions remains the same, though, an electronically-limited 250 km/h / 155 mph.

2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 L Drivetrain Specifications

Engine

2.0-litre 4-cylinder in-line with exhaust gas turbocharger

Displacement

1991 cc

Max. output

225 kW (306 hp) at 5800 rpm

Peak torque

400 Nm at 3000-4000 rpm

Drive system

AMG Performance 4MATIC variable all-wheel drive

Transmission

AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7G dual-clutch transmission

Acceleration 0-100 km/h

4.9 s

Top speed

250 km/h*


The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35L will be manufactured locally in the People’s Republic by one of Mercedes’ local joint ventures with local brand BAIC. The joint venture is called Beijing Benz Automotive Co., and it looks like it will be the only company manufacturing the stretched A35 anywhere in the world. The model will only be available in China, but pricing information has yet to be released.

Further Reading

Read our full review of the standard 2020 Mercedes-AMG A35}

Read our full review of the 2018 Mercedes-AMG A35 Hatchback

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Read up on the standard 2018 Mercedes A-Class