The lumps keep coming for Mercedes-Benz and AMG. First, the ongoing pandemic forced Mercedes-AMG to not ship V8 engines into the U.S. for the 2022 model year, and it now appears that poor sales are potentially forcing the spunky A35 AMG sedan to bail from our shores after 2021.
A35 AMG Receives Neuralzyer Treatment
Fans that have followed the Men In Black film series will undoubtedly remember scenes where agents use a neuralyzer to wipe and alter the memories of those pointing at it to cover up their activities. While Mercedes reps aren’t planting new memories into buyers, they are certainly doing their best to wipe the A35 AMG from existence with the company’s U.S. customer site already being scrubbed of material relating to it and the company only stating briefly that the model will not return for 2022.
The A35’s departure comes on the heels of our time with the car, and it eliminates the least expensive AMG offering for sale in the U.S., with the outgoing four-door having a base price of $46,900 after including the obligatory destination charge. The least expensive crown now goes to the AMG GLA 35, which has a base sticker of $48,600. The compact SUV is essentially an A35 on stilts, with the model sharing the familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which still produces 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
Could Poor Sales Be The Reason It’s Leaving?
While Mercedes-Benz didn’t reveal the exact reason why the AMG A35 was leaving our shores, but we suspect that its sales numbers forced the company’s hand. The A35 was only available as a sedan in the U.S. which is currently being driven to extinction by the meteoric resurgence in pickup, SUV, and CUV sales. Mercedes dealer reps that we spoke to in the area revealed that demand for the A-Class as a whole has been decreasing, and the AMG version, in particular, was being passed over for utility models.
It’s a shame, too, since the A35 made a strong impression during our time with it, and it was a four-door that had a unique personality, especially when pushed hard on a track or a twisty backroad. However, the A35 also suffered from price bloat, with optional extras and equipment quickly pushing the price into territory occupied by more powerful cars.
What About The Rest Of The A-Class Lineup?
For now, the A35 is the only one leaving our shores, with the A220 model still being offered here in the U.S. The A220 has also seen decreased sales, but the model has managed to get a loyal following, and that has allowed it to stick around for the foreseeable future. Mercedes has confirmed that it will be re-evaluating and eliminating weak members of the model lineup to remove redundancies and simplify it as well.
Look for more models to get the proverbial ax in the next few years, especially with the company creating room for a growing pool of EV models like the recently unveiled EQS EV sedan.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.