The color blue never goes out of style, so it’s fitting that in the Fashion Capital of the World, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the feisty A 35 in a resplendent blue shade that accentuates its sporting good looks. The hot hatch officially made its debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show with a point to prove. While it does trace its roots to the A-Class, the AMG 35 is nothing like the model it’s based on. It looks angrier and more aggressive, and more importantly, it has a powerful 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder engine that can embarrass the socks off anyone who underestimates its performance capabilities. The Mercedes-AMG A 35 doesn’t have a price yet, but those details will be announced sometime in 2019. Unfortunately, it’s not coming to the U.S.

Look at the Mercedes-AMG A 35 and tell me that it’s not dripping in attitude. It’s not a perfect car, by any means, but it doesn’t have to be. The AMG A 35 has no problem representing the A-Class family and judging by first appearances, it’s doing a good job at it. You can tell from the start that the hot hatch traces its roots to the A-Class. The model owes its existence to Merc’s entry-level model, but just as that’s the case, don’t fall into the trap of mistaking the A 35 as nothing more than a dressed up version of the A-Class.

There’s also a large wing at the back that exudes confidence and aerodynamic function. Throw in the blacked out high-spoke wheels, the evocative use of the blue paint finish and the smattering of AMG trim spread throughout the body, and you have a hot hatch that’s ready, willing, and able to establish itself as a legitimate competitor in its segment.

It’s not hard to notice the confidence that the AMG A 35 exudes. The good news is that there are no empty calories when it comes to what the hot hatch is capable of. It is, after all, an AMG model, and if you’re an AMG model, you don’t come to any parties without anything to offer. Make no mistake, the AMG A 35 has a lot to offer. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that produces 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. All that power is sent to all four wheels courtesy of a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Beyond the impressive power and performance figures, the AMG A 35’s drive can be figured, courtesy of a number of drive modes. There’s “Comfort,” “Sport,” “Sport+,” “Individual,” and even “Slippery” for those times when you need a car that can drive comfortably on slippery road surfaces. There’s a versatility to the AMG A 35 that shouldn’t be overlooked. It might come as a surprise to some people, but this hot hatch is more than the sum of its parts.

It’s a confident performance machine that knows what it’s capable of, and it isn’t afraid to show those capabilities of. It also happens to dress well, which is probably one of the reasons why it's making its debut at the Paris Motor Show.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35.

Read our full review on the next generation 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Read our full review on the previous 2014 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG.