A hot hatch with CLAss
Merc-AMG’s most a ordable saloon is a hot hatch in a four-door suit
Your priority should be getting somewhere you can flick the CLA 35 into Sport mode
Step in, fire it up and it’s easy enough to forget this is very nearly the entry point to AMG ownership. It sounds great, looks great, feels great – it even smells great. The CLA’s interior is already excellent and adding AMG’s huggier seats and an alcantara wheel makes it even better. There’s a promising bark from the engine to enjoy while you’re taking advantage of the many opportunities to adjust things in the cabin, from the seat to the lighting. It certainly doesn’t feel entry-level.
Figuring out the point and purpose of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 takes some doing. It does the job of a hot hatch, only it’s not a hatchback. Despite what Mercedes says, it’s not a coupe either – forget the slinky roofline, it’s a compact four-door saloon. And even with 302bhp from its turbocharged four, in the great scheme of things it’s not even that hot – not when you consider the CLA 45 will offer up to 415 bhp from a similar 2.0-litre engine.
As usual, desirable kit is pricey – the Premium Plus model we’re driving costs almost £46k as standard, and is bumped to a very juicy £48,060 (almost C43 territory) by the optional Driving Assistance package and metallic paint. The 302bhp is pumped mainly to the front wheels most of the time, but up to 50 per cent can be sent rearwards if needed. It’s all driven through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which is quick enough to shift when you take manual control but doesn’t half irritate in stop-start trac. The ride errs on the edge of uncomfortable, even with the adaptive dampers fitted to this test model in their cushiest setting.
Your priority should be getting somewhere you can flick the car into Sport mode, which lets the CLA 35 play to its strengths. When it comes to life, the childish noises from the sports exhaust system will be matched by grunting and gurgling from the driver. The transmission’s earlier recalcitrance is replaced by rifle-quick shifts and a tendency to hang onto a ratio just long enough for the engine to get wonderfully noisy, and the throttle response tightens markedly.
Quick steering and a reassuringly high level of grip were especially welcome on an icy morning, though the careful progress we were forced to make wasn’t a great deal of fun. It emphasised that a simpler, less powerful hot hatch is more engaging at the sort of speeds you drive at most of the time.
The narrow boot’s a bit compromised, but if you miss the hatchback’s versatility then a few extra quid nets you the CLA 35 Shooting Brake, which looks even better.