HOW THE CLA HOPES TO SNARE YOUNGER BUYERS

How big is Texas? If you’ve ever wondered, good news: you’ll soon be able to Ask Mercedes. Next question: why did Mercedes-benz choose to launch the new CLA at the CES technology show in Las Vegas rather than at the Detroit motor show? I’ll field that one: because of the car’s younger, tech-friendly audience. The CLA has been key to Mercedes increasing its appeal among more youthful buyers, particularly in the US, where the average CLA customer is 10 years younger than for any of its other models.

As a result, Mercedes has packed the CLA with plenty of tech, including the most advanced version of its Ask Mercedes system, which, the firm says, can now respond to “more complex queries”. Such as how big Texas is. (Spoiler alert: it’s 268,581 square miles.) Will that add appeal to customers used to talking to their phones? Hmmm, that’s one to ask Mercedes in a few years…