AMG sprinkles its magic on nearly every Mercedes—except
for just a few models. AMG chief Tobias Moers reminded us of the fact
while we were at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show, which hosted unveilings
of many models including a new GLB 35 AMG. A compact three-row family crossover isn't our first association with the sport-focused AMG, but then again, this ridiculousness wasn't either until a few years ago.
So
what Mercedes models don't get the full AMG treatment? Aside from
commercial vans, the first is the B-Class. Once offered in the U.S. exclusively as an electric car,
the new B-Class is a tall family-oriented hatchback whose strongest AMG
connection is the European AMG Line package, which adds flashier
18-inch wheels, a body kit, a lowered suspension, and an upgraded
steering system.
B-Classers seeking a sportier experience might go
with the sleeker A 35 hatch or sedan; we'll get the latter body style
in the U.S. Powered by a 302-hp turbo-four mated to a seven-speed
dual-clutch transmission, A 35 models have standard all-wheel drive and a
manufacturer-estimated 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds. Not bad,
considering a full A 45 with an even more powerful four-cylinder engine is also on the way. Either way, such cars may function as customers' entry into the subbrand.
The second is the current-generation EQC. Moers tells us that
Mercedes' new fully electric crossover won't get a full AMG model (but
an AMG Line package will be available). The electric car is propelled by
a 402-hp powertrain, and the automaker says you'll reach 60 in under 5
seconds. When we drove the EQC earlier this year, we found it "breezes
briskly away from the lights then comes over all calm and deliberate. …
With 1,438 pounds of battery between the wheels, the EQC, unsurprisingly
perhaps, drives bigger than it looks."
That's not to say
Mercedes-AMG won't go electric. The next C- and S-Class full AMG models
will be plug-in hybrids, and Moers hints at an AMG derivative of the
platform underpinning the EQS concept.
The
question we have about AMG models isn't whether Mercedes-AMG can, but
whether it should. Are there enough customers to justify a GLB 35 or
even GLB 45? Mercedes will soon find out.
