Hot hatch battle: Audi S3, BMW M135i, Mercedes-AMG A 35 and VW Golf R fight drag
November 24, 2019Four 300-hp “charged” Germans competed in dynamics
YouTube channel Carwow compared the acceleration and braking dynamics of four German “hot” entry-level models. Rivals are close in characteristics: all-wheel drive transmissions, 2.0-liter “turbo fours” with a capacity of about 300 horsepower and a comparable mass.
Among the applicants, the BMW M135i xDrive was most recently represented – a hot hatch was shown along with other third-generation “ones” at the end of May. The novelty is equipped with a 306-horsepower engine with a torque of 450 Nm in combination with an 8-speed automatic.
A year ago, the Mercedes-AMG A 35 debuted with a 306-horsepower engine: its trump card is the 7-speed robotized AMG Speedshift DCT, but the peak engine torque is less – 400 Nm.
The “heated” modifications of the Volkswagen concern are expected to change generations: the previous Golf R and Audi S3 were equipped with the same 310-horsepower (400 Nm torque) engine and 7-speed “robots” DSG and S-Tronic, respectively.
Despite the novelty of BMW, rivals in the Big Three fought the M135i. The larger body of the sedan was somewhat hindered by the Audi S3, however, in the race from the place of the four duelists, they separated 0.2 seconds, and after evaluating the braking performance, the presenters had to watch the finish line from different plans.
