Style doesn’t always filter down from luxury marques costing more than $150,000 to the day-to-day cars that are offered by luxury makers to those with thinner wallets. But, there are exceptions – and the new Mercedes-Benz CLA is one of them.
We attended the launch in New Zealand of the new all-wheel-drive CLA 250 4Matic that will set you back a relatively modest $64,900, before on roads. Walking into our base for two days in Tauranga there was a red Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4Matic on show. Here was a car with visual wow factor. A ‘’mini-me’’ CLS. An affordable Benz that still retained the style of those not so affordable.
Imagine my disappointment then when the next morning we strolled out for our day’s drive and the CLAs on offer looked nothing like the one we had seen the night before. Colours do make a difference and the staid greys and darker colours do nothing for the sculpted and scalloped lines of the CLA, while bright red brings it to life.
Mercedes-Benz was launching the new CLA 250 4Matic – the latter bit of its title meaning ‘all-wheel-drive’ – in a country where a cold climate, rain and snow mean AWD is a safety and all-weather factor more so than most of our wide, brown country. Even for entry-level luxury cars like the CLA.
The CLA 250 4Matic runs the same powertrain as the GLA 250 4Matic, a low slung crossover SUV launched at the same time. Both are powered by a 1991 cc four cylinder, direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine, that is linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission developed by Mercedes-Benz.
For those who want more, or less, there are options like the entry level front wheel drive CLA 200 at $49,900 and a high-performance CLA 45 AMG at $86,900.
The CLA 250 4Matic powers to 100 km/h in just 6.6 seconds.
This is the first dual-clutch transmission developed by Mercedes-Benz, and at times it shows. The VW Group has been refining its DSG for the past 10 years, which tells us these complicated gearboxes are not easy to get right. We found the Mercedes dual clutch uneasy at times in Efficiency mode and then in Sport mode. It does not seem as sharp as the VW DSG and at times felt as though it was uncertain.
We found the CLA 250 4Matic a nimble piece of work that swallowed up bends in the road and then powered out of corners without any fuss. It’s quite a delight thanks to the variable ratio direct steer system and at full throttle the CLA is surprisingly quick. Even at idle, there is a symphony of sounds emerging from the exhaust pipes.
Clever design and attention to design detail in the somewhat ho-hum areas of underbody panelling, the shape of the exterior mirrors and the muffler have all led to the CLA being among the most aerodynamically efficient production cars in the world – if not the most efficient.
However, this body sculpting work did not lead to the low NVH levels we anticipated, with the CLA exhibiting far too much road noise for a car that carries the three-pointed star. Buyers expect little road noise in luxury cars. Even on some of the not-so-coarse roads in NZ, we found the cabin infiltrated by the interaction between tyres and tarmac. CLA 250 4Matic sports 18-inch alloy wheels and low-profile tyres, which may contribute to the excessive road noise.
While the front seat passengers are looked after in comfort and style, those who draw the short straw and win time in the rear pew will not be so happy. Unless they happen to be ankle biters.
One surprise about CLA is the size. It looks bigger than we expected. A comparison with C-Class sedan revealed it is longer, higher and wider. It’s also a heap lighter than C250, as the C is designer to take six and V8 engines. This goes someway to explaining the CLA’s nimbleness at speed and willingness to get quickly off the mark when asked.
FEATURES
18” AMG 5-spoke alloy wheels
1.991 cc four cylinder turbo charged engine
Seven-speed dual clutch transmission
All wheel drive
AMG body styling on front/rear aprons and side panels
Red brake calipers with Mercedes-Benz lettering
Lowered sports suspension by AMG
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