When the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class first arrived on U.S. shores as a 2014 model with a (relatively) low starting price, it allowed Mercedes to elevate the C-Class’s premium appointments and price. Since the A-Class landed here last fall, the CLA is following the C on that upward trend.
This explains the second-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 and 250 4Matic, and its longer wheelbase, as well as longer and wider overall footprint. It’s grown, both in dimension and perception. The overall shape is less fussy, with fewer lines contouring the body — less “Look at me!” and instead more of a stately overall shape. To this gen-x’er, though, it still looks quite Millennial, with a shark-nose front clip and swoopy four-door-coupe rear end. Overall, the new CLA design is an evolution, not a revolution, of the outgoing model.
That’s true of the powertrain as well. The U.S. gets only one of several engines built for the CLA, the largest. At 2 liters, the turbocharged engine retains the same bore and stroke of the outgoing motor, but has a subtle conical shape in the cylinders, which some like to refer to as “trumpet-honing.” With the wider end at the bottom of the block, this shape in the cylinder reduces the friction between the piston ring and the cylinder wall, increasing efficiency. Also, the pistons themselves have cooling ducts to keep temperatures in the combustion chamber in check, despite high-specific output.
The top-half of the engine uses piezo fuel injectors that spray directly into the cylinder. These injectors operate faster than standard units and allow for more precise injection timing. Four valves per cylinder have variable timing all around and variable lift on the intake side. All this adds up to a 13-horsepower bump in peak output, now 221 at 5,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 rpm yet that power is produced more efficiently than before.
A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission remains as the only gearbox, but was also redesigned with new gear ratios and final drive. CLA-Class fuel economy is not yet announced, but we estimate it will, ultimately, be quite close to the current model: 24 city, 37 highway, 29 combined for the 250 and 24 city, 32 highway, 27 combined for the all-wheel drive 4Matic.
Mercedes made bigger changes to affect the ride and handling characteristics of the car. Track width increases by 2.2 inches at the rear axle and 2.5 inches in front and gives the CLA a much wider, more stable stance. That works with a fatter rear anti-roll bar, among other changes to increase the feeling of agility. If you tick the options box for adaptive dampers and select the sport drive mode, the CLA firms up considerably.
Inside, the new interior is adorned with nice finishes, soft touch plastics and is awash with new tech. The instrument panel is a 7-inch color screen display and immediately to its right is another display of the same size to handle the usual radio, navigation, and smart phone connectivity duties. A big part of that is an updated version of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) interior assistant, which uses gesture control and voice commands like, “hey Mercedes…”.
“Hey, Mercedes” is a way to enter an address for the navigation and perform similar duties simply by asking the car to do it for you. Gesture Control allows the driver to turn on the reading lamp at night simply by extending a hand towards the review mirror. Neat and novel tricks — I can’t say the concept is terribly useful, but this is a good time to point out that I am old in the eyes of the CLA.
And, not surprisingly, the CLA can be equipped with several “active” systems: emergency stop assist, lane-change assist, lane-keep assist, and brake assist (this one is standard). There’s also a system called Pre-Safe Plus; if you’re stopped at a traffic light, let’s say, and the CLA detects a rear-end collision is imminent, it automatically firmly applies the brakes. And adaptive cruise control is available as an option as well.
The Execution
Get behind the wheel, and the CLA feels familiar to anyone accustomed to a late-model Mercedes. The seats are both comfortable and supportive, with plenty of bolstering for your thighs and torso. Once positioned, ergonomics dictate that everything falls into place, with most everything in easy reach. The steering wheel itself offers a nice fat rim to grab on to and plenty of controls for phone connection and radio volume, as well as access to infotainment controls.
Output from the 2.0-liter scoots the 3420 lb. (3285 lbs. for the FWD model) CLA along with no trouble in most any situation. The seven-speed DCT offers plenty of ratio range for a quick off the line first gear and low-rpm cruise down the interstate. Even on this German test drive, where speed-limit-free areas of the autobahn allowed legal 111 mph cruising, you notice little more than a bit of wind noise. Steering stays weighty and responsive, and body control is spot-on.
Exiting off to explore a bit of Bavaria, my test car was equipped with the optional adaptive suspension and drive modes. Set to sport, the CLA turns-in nicely and corners flat, yet never feels jarring, though it’s worth noting that most all the roads I drove were smooth. Getting spirited around curves proves the CLA as a playful, competent companion. It falls a step short of small sports sedan fun but plays that role with reasonable expertise when asked.
The only real demerit is the DCT gearbox: Shifts aren’t as crisp as the best DCTs out there. Even in Sport mode, there is a delay in response and more of a build-up of revs as opposed to a snap to the next gear. Additionally, if you peg the throttle and pull the paddle it takes a moment to respond. It does not have the immediacy of a Porsche PDK or, even a Volkswagen GTI’s DSG. But the tradeoff comes in that it’s a smooth operator in normal driving conditions, a bit ahead of the aforementioned sportier boxes.
The Takeaway
That tradeoff between smoothness and performance sums up this CLA well. As it has matured into a perfectly pleasant driving experience and place to occupy while commuting in its second generation. Pricing is not out but expect it to fall between A-Class and C-Class; figure a starting price around $36,000, a bump of a few grand from the last model. Considering the increase length, width, improved interior and driving dynamics, that seems reasonable.
The CLA’s emphasis on tech and keeping up with youthful trends is the polarizing factor. With “Hey Mercedes” and shark nose looks, it’s not the right personality for me, but, “Hey Mercedes,” I’m not your target buyer anyway.
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