RITZY AND REASONABLE
German manufacturer took a larger model and compacted it
Inside the Mercedes CLA 250,
SAINT TROPEZ, FRANCE — At first glance, you might mistake the new Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 for something else. When I first saw it, I thought ‘don’t they build a car like that already?’ As it turns out, the answer is yes, sort of.
For the CLA 250 (which stands for Coupe Light A-Class), Mercedes drew upon inspiration that came from the much larger CLS which also cuts a sleek, coupe-like appearance yet also retains four doors.
Essentially, Mercedes has taken the CLS and they’ve compacted it, and the result is a car that will compete in a broader and more intensely competitive segment when it arrives here in September: entry-level luxury.
With the CLS providing a guiding principle for the design, Mercedes is enlisting the front-wheel, drive B-Class platform to underpin the CLA 250.
It will also share engines and transmissions with the five-door mini-Mercedes that has been sold in Canada since 2005. It will be built in the same plant in Kecskemét, Hungary, as the B-Class, too.
While they might have a lot in common under the skin, the CLA 250 and B-Class part company in the looks and go-fast departments.
While the B-Class is a competent, affordable vehicle that provides very good utility and value for its $30,000-ish price tag, not many are likely buying it for its performance and style credentials.
The same cannot be said for the CLA 250, which is a sleek, handsome car that makes no bones about its sporty pretensions, which is as Mercedes intended. This car IS designed to quicken the pulse.
When it comes to positioning, the folks from Stuttgart are certainly aiming high. While waiting to get behind the wheel of a CLA 250 at Mercedes’ welcome centre, I noticed this quote stencilled on the wall in the reception area:
“We aim to reach new target class groups with the CLA-Class — including those who never intended driving a Mercedes.” The one throwing down the gauntlet was Dr. Joachim Schmidt, executive vice-president, Sales & Marketing, and if he and his fellow execs intend to reach new ‘target class groups’ with the CLA 250, that sounds to me like they’ll need to capture the 35-and-under crowd.
Can they achieve that goal with this car? I think so and here’s why.
Even though the CLA 250 is being positioned as an entry-level Mercedes, it’s still very much a Mercedes — looks like one, feels like one and drives like one.
Secondly, it’s a sharp, stylish car loaded with the latest technology (blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, back-up camera, slick infotainment system are just a few of its standard features). The price — $33,900 — also seems about right for the segment, although it comes in at $4,000 above the starting figure in the U.S. It’ll be interesting to see if equipment levels vary between the two markets when the car begins to arrive in the fall.
With that said, the CLA 250 is quite an enjoyable car on the road as I discovered during the time I spent in it on twisty, hilly (and exceedingly narrow) roads along the south coast of France.
Although it’s a front-driver (allwheel drive 4MATIC versions will arrive next year), and the 250s des- tined for Canada are available with a seven-speed DCT automatic transmission only, the CLA 250 is indeed a willing machine for those looking for spirited, performance driving. While I would have appreciated the opportunity to sample copies equipped with a manual transmission, the testers I drove equipped with DCT worked quite well, primarily because Mercedes has wisely chosen to equip the CLA 250 with a drive- mode selector button located on the centre stack and steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The Eco, Manual and Sport modes enable the driver to tailor the car to his or her driving style. While fuel saving is important these days, the driving experience was much more engaging when the car was in Manual or Sport mode. Being able to wind up the RPMs and delay upshifts really brought the CLA 250 to life. The 2.0 litre turbocharged fourcylinder pumps out 211 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque which, given the car’s light 1,480 kilogram curb weight, provides more than sufficient propulsion to hustle the car well past posted speed limits in a hurry. Mercedes is claiming a 0-100 km/h time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 240 km/h. An AMG version (the CLA 45) will land in Canada in November and will likely shave at least a second off of that time. From a handling perspective, the CLA 250 will come with both sport and comfort suspension settings. I drove one of each and, as the names would suggest, the sport model has the stiffer settings and has a lower ride height. The sport model car felt more secure during cornering and hard braking manoeuvres, but differences were not significant.
On the inside, the CLA 250 is well equipped and is finished in highquality (albeit a tad conservative) trim. The leather-wrapped seating surfaces were comfortable, and the small, thick steering wheel suits the car’s sporty personality. The large 5.8 inch nav screen provided mostly accurate directions (with a few slipups) during my time behind the wheel and its positioning at the top of the centre stack means minimal distraction.
Bottom line: the car’s controls work well, although I find the steering-column mounted gear selector to be needlessly fussy. One other note about the interior: because of the CLA 250’s sloping roofline, those in the six-foot range should mind their heads getting in and out of the rear seat. In sum, the CLA 250 has a lot going for it. The car seems like a winner from styling to performance to price. Travel for freelance writer Lee Bailie was provided by the automaker. wheels@thestar.ca