CLA (C117) [First drives] Mercedes-Benz CLA-CLASS - TESTS

[Merc1]

A style leader takes the three-pointed star downmarket.



When Mercedes-Benz decided to introduce a new car beneath the C-class, the German automaker didn’t just slice its smallest sausage a few inches shorter. Instead, it co-opted the sloping roof and general look of its trend-setting iconoclast, the CLS-class “four-door coupe.” The resulting 2014 CLA250 packs upscale panache for just $30,825, but building a Mercedes that retails some $42,000 less than its inspiration doesn’t come without compromises, which we’ll get to.

But back to styling. Along with its parasol roofline, the A-class–based CLA shares its distinctive sagging character line with the CLS, but sharper creases make the new Mercedes less subtle and more outwardly extroverted. Meticulous attention to details like underbody paneling, mirror shape, and the muffler profile lead to extremely efficient aerodynamics, claimed to be the best of any car currently in production. (A not-for-America version of the CLA actually is more aerodynamic than the one we’ll see.) A teardrop-shaped profile helps as well, but it also makes the car a bit front-heavy aesthetically. It’s not just a function of styling, though: The CLA will be the first front-wheel-drive Mercedes ever sold in the United States. (Competition will include the Acura ILX, the forthcoming Audi A3 sedan, and BMW’s front-drive 1-series replacement.)

Front-Drive or (Eventually) 4MATIC

An all-wheel-drive CLA250 4MATIC will arrive a few months after the CLA’s September 2013 launch, but we found no issues with torque steer or traction in the front-driver despite the new four-cylinder’s robust torque. The turbocharged 2.0-liter, with 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from just 1200 rpm, is most notable for its understated power delivery under full throttle. While it doesn’t feel especially energetic at the top end, the small turbo running at up to 14 psi of boost provides plenty of on-demand thrust. The all-wheel-drive model, then, should be reserved for those who truly need winter traction. Using a Haldex electronically controlled rear differential, the all-wheel-drive system can route up to 50 percent of the engine torque to the rear wheels.

The engine is paired to an equally new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission developed in-house in Stuttgart. Compared to the chops shown by Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen, Mercedes’ relative inexperience with this newer transmission technology shows in the shift quality and strategy. Efficiency mode loves seventh gear, while Sport mode reviles it. We yearned for a middle setting that might be called “Normal,” but there isn’t one. Just as aggravating are shift schedules that on several occasions had us taking our hands off the wheel and throwing them in the air. Extracting the gearchanges we expected often required exploring the extremes of accelerator-pedal travel. Upshifts demanded lifting off entirely, while getting even a single-gear downshift sometimes meant pushing the pedal all the way to the kickdown switch. We’re not sure if the programming changed since our positive experience with the transmission in the latest A-class, but for more predictable behavior, gears may be chosen manually via paddle shifters.

Not Quite as Small as You Think

Despite occupying the lowest rung of the Mercedes product ladder, the CLA is longer, wider, and taller than the C-class sedan. That will be corrected in 2015 when the C-class is due for an overhaul, but the CLA250 is already about 200 pounds lighter than the C250 simply because it isn’t designed to carry six- and eight-cylinder powertrains.

The wheelbase is one measure, though, where the CLA comes up short of the C-class, making for a crowded rear cabin. Spend any amount of time in the rear seat and you might think you’re in a bona fide coupe, rather than a four-door. Both leg- and headroom evoke occupying the back of a Ford Mustang or a Porsche 911 more than a CLS or a Volkswagen CC. So unless your friends are Snooki-sized with the tolerance of a Buddhist, we recommend reserving the rear for kids. Up front is far better, with generous space and excellent comfort.

The simplified dash is defined by a wide slab of faux aluminum and an infotainment screen perched atop the center stack. While the driver’s seat is armed with eight-way power adjustability, the passenger doesn’t even get a button to unlock the doors. Both front-seat occupants benefit from comfortable and supportive sport buckets, but the fixed head rests strike us as more inconvenient than cool.

Curiously, the only suspension tune we’ll get is the stiffer of the two setups offered in Europe. The springs are firmer by virtue of being 0.6 and 0.4 inch shorter front and rear, with the bulk of the additional stiffness brought by revised damping rates. We found the ride a bit soft over the sort of dips and bumps that induce large, slow body movements, yet some manhole covers delivered jarring impacts. We wonder if the standard 17-inch wheel-and-tire package might offer the final touch of compliance we didn’t find with the optional 18-inch wheels.

On balance, though, the CLA displays a composed mix of quick responses and comfortable isolation. The steering uses Mercedes’ variable-ratio Direct Steer that gets quicker the further you turn the wheel. It’s a design similar to what’s found in Porsche sports cars and the Ford Focus ST, and it works just as well here, largely eliminating the need to shuffle your hands in tight turns. The electrically assisted steering wheel weights up quickly and evenly, but doesn’t offer much feel. We doubt buyers will notice. They’re more likely to appreciate that at a slower pace and while navigating narrow city streets, the CLA feels like a nimbler, tidier Benz even if dimensionally it isn’t.

While option pricing hasn’t been announced, we consider the Premium package a must-have, as it includes an iPod interface, satellite radio, heated seats, a Harman/Kardon stereo, and dual-zone climate control. The multimedia package replaces the standard 5.8-inch infotainment screen with a 7.0-inch unit and adds navigation, voice control, a rearview camera, a six-disc CD changer, and an SD memory card slot. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, and lane-departure assist come bundled as the Driver Assistance package. Standalone options include xenon headlights, parking sensors with automatic parallel parking, and a panoramic sunroof that we’d actually classify more as plus-size.

The CLA250 might be the most humble U.S.-market Mercedes in some time, but it follows squarely in the CLS’s footsteps in injecting fashionable design where conservative and derivative are the norm.

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2014-mercedes-benz-cla250-cla250-4matic-first-drive-review


M

 

[Merc1]

Motor Trend:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1303_2014_mercedes_benz_cla250_first_drive/

M

 

[HighestOfHigh]

We got overexcited when the W203 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan came out in 2001, calling it the "Baby Benz" when it really wasn't. We knew that, too, but our enthusiasm for a model more like the old 190 of the '80s was so strong that we were willing to stretch the C-class to fit that mold. Today, the C-class has done what all German premium cars do: grown in size. In this case, grown to satisfy the market intentions of the previous E-Class.

There was the tall A-Class sold from 1998 through 2010, but we never considered that a serious small Benz in the proper spirit, nor was it ever offered in the US. We've been craving a smaller, premium, sexy sedan, man.

As you read this, Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled, with great fanfare at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the production CLA-class. We saw the car at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and the Concept Style Coupe that led to the CLA was first seen in China at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The CLA – a.k.a. "the baby CLS" – is finally here and we've driven it.

The name CLA stands for "Coupe Light A-Class" in keeping with the CLS that set the four-door coupe standard. Think of it simply as the A-Class that we get. The CLA arrives in European markets this April and will compete with the future BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe sedan and Audi A3 sedan, both of which will be introduced to us over the next twelve months.



Starting at $30,825 in the US with front-wheel drive and around $33,500 with the all-wheel-drive 4Matic system, the CLA's long list of premium and near-premium competitors should make for some fascinating comparison testing with Japanese, Korean and American rivals. And you, too, Volvo V40, once they slap a trunk on you. The US will get the top trim CLA 250 only, with front-drive models arriving in September of 2013 and 4Matic versions coming by Spring 2014. Some of us may once again be justifiably irked by the exclusion of smaller gas and diesel engines from the US market. Some others will dislike that there is no six-speed manual offered (the standard transmission in all markets outside of North America), only the somewhat new 7G dual-clutch seven-speed.

As soon as we heard that all CLA 250s destined for the United States were to come standard with a lowered sport suspension, we were all over spending more time with the front-wheel-drive sport chassis test cars, which is what you see here.

The interior you see on this CLA 250 Sport is part of the limited-run Edition 1 trim, which gets the sport leather-dressed Neon Art performance seats with yellow stitching, the very nice blackened AMG design 18-inch alloys, the aforementioned sport chassis, AMG-look aero bits, bi-xenon headlights, and synthetic leather-covered dash and console surfaces. The US will only receive 750 units of the CLA 250 Edition 1. That manual shifter and clutch pedal would sure look good in here...oh, well...



So we took off through the rustic, hilly wilds of southern France, much like a bat out of Hell, or at least as hellishly batty as this most aggressive CLA model can run. The first order of business was to simply feel the calibration of the sport chassis in motion. This particular calibration lowers the CLA some 0.8 inches in the front and 0.6 inches in back. Throw in the electro-mechanical steering and Merc's Direct Steer technology, and we were optimistic about how things would turn out over 200 miles of twisty French two-lanes. On these older driving surfaces, the Euro-style road noise came through easily via the 18-inch 225/40 Continental ContiSportContact5 run-flats that come standard with the Edition 1 sport chassis. We enjoyed ourselves – a lot – at medium-to-quick speeds, but at slower around-town velocities, the tires thwacked us every time an imperfection or sewer head popped up. That's fine for those who opt for it, but equipping all CLAs in America with this default setup? Not a bullet-proof plan, we thought.

Mercedes project leader for compact cars, Hans-Georg Engel, responded frankly to our questions regarding this issue. Apparently, the plan is shifting as we speak. Now the logic is to bring over both the sport and comfort chassis setups. For now, that means still having the sport chassis as standard and the comfort setup available for order. But will it be offered by dealers as a no-cost option? This last detail is still TBD. Or the comfort calibration could, down the road, be standard and the sport chassis become part of a more aggressive sport package option. Call us wusses, but this re-thinking seems right if Mercedes wants to sell a lot of CLAs in the US.



Engineer Engel also shared with us that, seeing as part of the CLA's good looks and kinship to the CLS rests on its lower stance, a new setup could be formulated in time for US deliveries that essentially combines the comfort dampers with the shorter sport springs. It would require more than just a switcheroo, but we're most in favor of this alternative. The other wish-list item is some simpler form of optional adaptive suspension, a suggestion Engel pretty clearly supported, provided it doesn't push up the price of the CLA to conflict with base C-class trims.
While we did just get finished harping on about the sport suspension's roughness, once we got out on wide open roads with hairpins, bends and the like, this chassis tune showed that it was both capable and smooth – even on those brick-like 18-inchers. Understeer was minimal, weight transfer was very good, and we felt no untoward torque steer while punching the throttle coming out of turns. This was reassuring, seeing as the CLA is 1.5 inches longer and a little wider than a C-Class, while sharing the 2.4-inch-shorter wheelbase of the A-Class, along with the A's slightly narrower tracks. Weighing 150 pounds or so less than the most equivalent C-class sedan also helps its dynamics.

Then there's the feel coming from the motor and software of the electromechanical steering system provided by Jtekt in Japan. On the more hectic sections of road, there was less time to notice the action of its thinking and re-thinking process. Where it really stood out, though, is through longer curves with constant or decreasing radii; the feel is of the trajectory being instantaneously and subtly remapped and executed many times, and so lacking the smooth and constant steering angle feel we're accustomed to.



The real help here comes from the re-engineered transverse "M270" 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with an ICSI turbocharger good for 14.5 psi of constant maximum boost pressure. The power is a pretty universal 2.0T-like 208 horsepower, while the torque raises its game nicely to 258 pound-feet between 1,200 and 4,000 rpm. Our other pal, Mr. Guido Vent in charge of gas engine development on smaller Mercedes vehicles, tells us that there is an unadvertised overboost effect during kickdown with one's foot to the floor, which results in roughly 13 more hp and 15 more lb-ft of torque for brief bursts. On these test routes, we had several opportunities to try out this overboost effect for passing maneuvers and we can say the powertrain pulls pretty dang well throughout the middle rev range. 0-to-60-mph acceleration in the CLA 250 Sport should happen in 6.5 seconds or less, according to Mercedes, with top speed set at 149 mph. Fuel mileage, meanwhile, is seen as roughly five-percent better than in the C250 Sport sedan with 1.8-liter turbo, so around 23 miles per gallon in the city and 33 mpg highway.

Our running lack of enthusiasm for the 7G seven-speed automated gearbox carries on here. When driving with verve or sporting expectations, this dual-clutch version of the transmission is perfectly fine. But flip into Sport or Manual modes and go on the attack, and the current calibration of the tranny's software seems overtasked frequently, as though it really doesn't like being told to do quite so much. Then being able to hold higher revs while in "manual" mode would sure be appreciated. As we have said in other such reviews of Mercedes' various 7G transmissions, the company insists that it is working on crispening up Sport shift actions across the lineup.


Though the road noise through the Contis was noticeable, the CLA's world record low aerodynamic resistance (for a series production car) of 0.22 coefficient of drag in the Euro-trim CLA 180 BlueEfficiency only rises to 0.23 for the rest of the models in the CLA catalogue. Not since GM's EV1 with a CoD of 0.19 have we felt so much as though we were slipping through the air. Mercedes aerodynamics expert Patrick Höfer says simply, "Put the trunk on any vehicle and air turbulence diminishes quite a bit." Designers and engineers worked with aerodynamicists for the CLA more than is usual with other models. Coefficient of drag on the A-Class hatchback, in fact, is 0.27 and moves to 0.26 on the BlueEfficiency model – just to show the major leap in turbulence versus the knife-like CLA numbers. As a result, wind noise around the outside of the CLA's cabin is nearly not there.

As this form follows pretty dramatically its aerodynamic function, we can get right into the design. We enjoy the A-Class styling a bunch already, and every nuance from adding the trunk for the CLA is a pleasing one. That is, all except the tumble-home on the sheet metal at the very rear that involves the rear fenders, taillight elements and the trunk lid. Those rear corner zones are not as elegantly executed as the rest of the CLA, though each piece taken on its own is quite elegant. The chief culprit as we see it is the elevation of the rear deck lid, done thus for optimal aerodynamic effects. Pooching up the integrated and curved ducktail lip spoiler was needed to get the CLA's extraordinary 0.23 CoD. Regardless, the CLA's profile view is a fetching one.


The in-cabin experience of the CLA stresses sportiness over all else, particularly on our Sport trim model. Rear headroom does suffer somewhat versus the C-Class sedan but is nonetheless livable. We wished for a sport exhaust sending some emotions back into the cabin, but all things in due time, we're certain. Looking at trunk space versus the C-Class sedans, they are just about identical at a US-rated 12.4 cubic feet, and the CLA rear seat backs are easy to flop forward and put back.

Mercedes-Benz has a small, premium feeling sedan we can work with happily in the CLA, and we're eager for the more interesting CLA 45 AMG that will debut later this month at the New York Auto Show. There are improvements to be made in some areas that would make the non-AMG CLA a knockout hit in this segment, including a more inclusive suspension strategy to sell the car to more people, improving the feel of the electromechanical steering and Direct Steer, and further refinement of the 7G DCT for snappier shifts when desired.

The substance of the CLA message is there for now: This is a good and solid baby Mercedes sedan with above average build quality, great ambitions, and fresh looks that fit the established brand image worldwide.

- http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/06/2014-mercedes-benz-cla-250-sport-first-drive-review/

 

[Wunderkind]

Why can't Mercedes get their transmissions right? It remind me of my CLS350. Manual downshifts take a looooong time to execute. Not satisfying at all.

 

[Zafiro]

AutoExpress

The Mercedes CLA is an interesting proposition – it’s a front-wheel-drive Mercedes saloon that offers a little more boot space than the C-Class, but with a design that’s even more eye-catching. Depending on your needs, it could be exactly what you’re after. It’s just worth bearing in mind that rear passengers will be much happier in the roomier but less stylish C-Class.

Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/cla/63031/mercedes-cla-220-cdi#ixzz2MqmQhO4F​

 

[Zafiro]

Autocar

We commend Mercedes for looking beyond convention when conceiving the CLA. We also like the relaxed, torquey nature of this diesel engine. The CLA is competent in many areas, but it isn’t as engaging as we’d hoped it would be. We’ll reserve judgement on its ride until we drive it in the UK, although it already feels unnecessarily firm.
For a car of its dimensions, its packaging is also rather disappointing. It has style in spades and some genuine substance, but it’s not enough to hide its questionable comfort and lack of space.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review...s/mercedes-benz-cla220-cdi-first-drive-review

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Mixed reviews for the CLA, though commentary about the 'lack of space' misses the point really. It's a 4 door coupe style statement to attract younger buyers to the brand, not a minivan. I hardly think space efficiency will be a priority for the target demographic.

Looks like Mercedes needs to work on the suspension tune. It's surprising that even non sport's models have been suspended so firmly. This is not usually how Mercedes are, and again probably there to impart a sense of sportiness. Unless MB just aren't as adept at tuning such a chassis yet.

 

[Merc1]

Yeah they might need to rethink what they think is sporty for this segment. A hard ride isn't it.

M

 

[Deckhook]

^Yeah the words 'harsh' and 'sporty' no longer go together like they use to. Today's chassis designers can generally make something feel tight and agile without ruining the ride.

 

[bmwownage]

eye-catching it may be but no, doesn't look good. 1M inspired rear bumpers on that AMG package too,well done.

it's just a A class afterall, can't expect it to have perfect ride quality and sportiness at the same time.

 

[mini_cooper4]

eye-catching it may be but no, doesn't look good. 1M inspired rear bumpers on that AMG package too,well done.

it's just a A class afterall, can't expect it to have perfect ride quality and sportiness at the same time.

Agreed and I'll add that to me this car doesn't appear to be anything different from the last two generations of A-Class... just different proportions and a bit uglier... not worthy

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Well that's an entirely ill informed opinion. And if it wasn't arrived at through misinformation, then it reeks of bias.

 

[mini_cooper4]

Well that's an entirely ill informed opinion. And if it wasn't arrived at through misinformation, then it reeks of bias.

It's just called opinion... but let's agree to disagree.
I don't understand why you see me as misinformed

PS: I appreciate the first two generations of A-Class though not a big fan of both... but at least they were what they were.
Now this one is not far from what they were IMO... but it's trying to be something more... and IMO it fails

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Because it's a clean sheet design from the ground up and far removed from what the previous A's were in terms of chassis design, drive, packaging, execution etc. Hence to arrive at the conclusion that the new A is not far from what it used to be is IMO the result of either:
a) Misinformation, or
b) bias

Like it or not, that's not what I take issue with, it's saying that the car is basically the same as the 2 previous A's.

But that's just my 2 cents. I think we are better of just agreeing to disagree lol.

 

[Sunny]

It is amazing how disproportionate and unbalanced this thing looks . It is like a gynormeous body on a tiny wheelbase.

Yea, you can take some attractive pics at certain angles, but at a fundamental level the car is truly ugly, I would cringe if I had to walk towards something that looks this unbalanced. On top of that it costs 30+k here, almost as much as a C which is better in every way - better looking exterior, more spacious interior and proper RWD.

 

[bmwownage]

I agree the old A classes were not lookers, they weren't supposed to be, but at least it was something special, something that others didn't have, a nice that they created. You see i don't know what you call this, but MB seems to lack confidence in their own ideas. The new A class is obviously a response to the 1series and A3, but why, do they think their original idea of A class is completely wrong? And the recent huge facelifts, they just don't stand by their own ideas... BUT somehow they are holding on firmly on those weird lines on the side of their cars. Why? well i think because Audi and BMW both got one.

Surely this is eye catching, but car design-wise i think it's far from perfect, the side on shot, the front wheel is set so far back from the nose, and i don't know what inch those wheels are but it still doesn't look big enough on a small car like this. And honestly, if you slim those headlights, this is the shape of BMW headlights - the edge, how it is pointy, and the curve at the bottom edge, and it joins the grille too, it IS from BMW just admit it, this IS NOT all cars got 4 wheels. Again, it is eye catching, it's cool, but it sucks, at least in the design perspective. The dead end shot from the front, it looks so weak, just a box. MB used to have BMW inspired interiors, now they have BMW inspired exteriors and Audi inspired interiors.

 

[bmwownage]

absolutely agree with Sunny above, i was typing while you posted, sorry for the repeat.
Got to say though, eye-catching, it may do it better than the upcoming 2 series but you look closer and with time, this thing will be bad.

 

[Benzino]

Based on the latest information from Wolfgang regarding the 3 shifts program for the compact cars production line in Rastatt but with more capacity still needed. I wonder if MBenz will be able to manage that problem in the future to withstand the huge demand. Especially when you put into consideration the addition of the stylish looker CLA and the upcoming (GLA & CLA shooting brake).
I think it's MBenz top priority right now because they ALREADY got the message of how much the targeted demographic are into their latest compact products.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Hey Benzino, if you duck over to the A-class thread, Wolf has posted information that some production will be contracted out to a third party as of mid 2013.

 

[Benzino]

Hey Benzino, if you duck over to the A-class thread, Wolf has posted information that some production will be contracted out to a third party as of mid 2013.

That would be an excellent news but I hope it will be enough to withstand the huge success building up right now and in future.