Mercedes-benz CLA: Great-looking ride
This entry-luxury overachiever has more sporting aspirations
Tsecond-generation CLA, arriving later this year, is a desirable piece of eye candy andisalsooneofthemoreaffordable vehicles in the Mercedes-benz lineup. Before diving in, however, there are certain practicalities that shouldbeconsidered.
You see, the CLA is a bit of a head-scratcher. For most buyers and lessors, the four-door car probably makes more sense than selecting some two-door model. But the head- and leg-room-deficient rear seat in the low-slung sedan — that Mercedes-benz insists on calling itacoupe—isn’tsuitablefortaller occupants.
The original CLA that launched for 2014 was an entry-level model inspired by the larger CLS but in a scaled-down format and at much less than half the CLS’S base price. According to Mercedes-benz, most of the CLA’S 750,000-plus owners worldwide are, not surprisingly, considerably younger than the typical M-B customer.
The 2019 arrival of the compact A-class sedan and hatchback automatically bumped the CLA to the next rung up the ladder, though the CLA shares the A’s front-wheel-drive platform.
Compared with the original CLA, the new model is 2 inches wider and longer overall, while the distance between the front and rear wheels has increased by about an inch. Stowage volume is down slightly, but the previously tapered trunk lid is now wider at the base by more than 10 inches. Full marks for practicality in this instance.
Those who criticized the CLA for providing a less-than-premium cabin should be content with the significantly updated interior of the 2020 model. The star of the show is the Mercedes-benz User Experience dashboard that was first installed in the 2019 A class.
It comes with a pair of adjacent 7or available 10.25-inch displays. With the larger screens, either the driver or front passenger can scroll through functions on the right-side screen by swiping their hands close to it.
A voice control assistant can respond to questions related to the CLA’S operation, make nearby restaurant suggestions or even provide the latest stock quotes and sports scores. Just begin every command by calling out, “Hey Mercedes.”
A console-located trackpad can be used for climate, communications and navigation selections.
The turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine found in the 2020 CLA 250 makes 221 horsepower, up from 208. Torque remains unchanged at 258 pound-feet.
A seven-speed automated manual transmission with paddle shifters returns, but Mercedes-benz says it has been tweaked to deliver smoother and more precise shifts.
Fuel economy is estimated at 24 mpg in the city, 36 on the highway and 30 mpg combined.
Joining the CLA 250 will be the Mercedes-amg CLA 35, equipped with a 302-horsepower version of the turbo 2.0. Torque is upped to 295 pound-feet.
The Mercedes-amg CLA 45 ups the output to 382 horses and 354 pound-feet. Its easy-to-spot grille has vertical bars and a giant three-pointed-star logo.
Both AMG models will come with 4MOTION all-wheel-drive, which is optional for the CLA 250. Mercedes-benz has addressed the CLA’S overly firm ride by increasing the amount of suspension travel, while at the same time slightly lowering the ride height. An optional active suspension offers Comfort and Sport modes.
Another extra, the Driver Assistance Package, provides semiautonomous vehicle operation — including
hands-free driving under certain circumstances — and Active Emergency Stop and Active Lane Change Assist, which functions only on multilane highways.
Final pricing has not yet been announced, but it’s expected that the CLA 250 will start in the mid-$30,000
range or a couple of thousand more than the A-class sedan. That gets you a great-looking ride with plenty of comfort and safety content for a reasonable fee — for a Mercedes-benz, that is. If you’re OK with the undersized back seat, then you’re good to go.