Entry-Level Mercedes-AMG A35 and CLA35 are Getting the Panamericana Grille
Giancarlo Perlas January 17, 2021
The Mercedes-AMG A35 and the Mercedes-AMG CLA35 cars provide a little taste of what the AMG high-performance brand has to offer. However, they lack the signature styling element of the company’s high-performance division, the Panamericana grille, up to now. That is about to change though.
The Panamericana grille styling of the three-pointed star marque was made prominent by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL in 1952. The race car sporting that design etched its name in history by being victorious during the post-war era’s Le Mans, Bern Grand Prix, Nurburgring Great Jubilee Prize, and Carrera Panamericana.
The special grille design was revived by the Mercedes-AMG GT in 2018. Then the same styling was carried over to the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Coupe, Mercedes-AMG S63 and S65, until it eventually came as a standard design to every AMG car and SUV, and trickling down even to the 43 trims.
Going so far as the A35 and CLA35, some hardcore fans of the German automaker no longer consider them as “real AMG” cars. They reasoned out that the said cars only share the same 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine found in the Mercedes-Benz A250 and CLA250 with a bit of a power boost.
AMG is cementing the A35 and CLA35 cars’ place in its lineup by giving them the sporty front grille with vertical slats. However, is that enough for them to be embraced as “real AMG” cars?
Let’s not forget though that the AMG A35 and CLA35 have come a long way already in terms of performance as they are able to produce 306 hp nowadays, so they might as well deserve to be recognized as full-AMG vehicles. This could also be seen as good news by those who are on a budget as an opportunity for them to own a car with all the bells and whistles of AMG at a more affordable price.
