Mercedes has been refreshing its cars to bring them up to date with its latest design philosophy, and the latest model to receive an update is its most affordable sedan, the CLA.
Don’t feel bad if you have to squint your eyes to figure out what’s new about the car. The only changes up front are the new, full LED headlamps, and a lightly redesigned bumper with a new chin-mounted chrome insert. In profile, the changes are nil, even retaining the same 17-inch alloy wheel design, and round the back, the only novelties are re-profiled tail lights and a differently-shaped chrome strip between the restyled exhaust tips.
Not that the CLA needs too many cosmetic changes – it looks rather swanky as it is, with that bold face, swooping roof, muscular character lines and neat tush. This refresh, as explained, is more a move to bring the CLA in line with the rest of the Merc family rather than actually shaking things up in order to boost sales numbers; still, it’s worth noting that Mercedes has shrewdly beaten rival Audi to the market, with the A3 facelift expected only some time next year.
Changes to the interiors are limited to a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen (the previous one was a 7.0-incher) for the updated COMAND infotainment system (it now gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a redesigned instrument cluster and the incorporation of Drive Select, Merc’s driving-mode system. It’s got three modes – Comfort, Sport and Eco – which mainly alter the engine and gearbox response. Additionally, Dynamic Select offers the capability of toggling steering and engine response between ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ individually.
Inside, you are surrounded by plush materials, be it the soft-touch plastic on the dash, sturdy plastics elsewhere or supple seat leather. The design is equally outstanding, what with the sporty turbine-like air-con vents, clean and intuitive buttons, high-def screen and red-needled instrument binnacle.
The seats are a particular attraction in the CLA. The electrically-adjustable bucket seats up front feel snug and supportive, and come with adjustable thigh support. Bucket seats are what you find in the back too (thus limiting comfortable seating to just two), and while they are firm and supportive, they are a touch too upright. Legroom is adequate, not outstanding, headroom is sparse and the slit-like windows make everything feel even more cramped. The boot, at 470 litres, would have been adequately roomy had it not been for the space-saver abolishing most of the usable space.
Equipment includes Merc’s latest COMAND media system with USB, Aux and Bluetooth options, cruise control, a rear camera, a panoramic sunroof and automatic headlights. On the safety front, the CLA comes with six airbags, adaptive braking, hill-start assist, ABS, Merc’s Attention Assist system, and an electronic stability program. Certain features such as automatic climate control, rear parking sensors and rear AC vents are conspicuously lacking though.
Mechanically, the CLA is unchanged from before this refresh. Under the hood of the CLA 200 is the same 184hp 1991cc, four-cylinder turbo-petrol that’s refined and responsive from the word go. It spins quite freely and propels the car to three-digit speeds without breaking a sweat. It is mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which complements the car’s sporty orientation rather well.
Press the accelerator sedately and the gearbox seamlessly skips through the ratios rather quickly to maximise efficiency and minimise engine noise. Slam the gas hard, though, and the engine will spin to maximum revs (in Sport mode) before the gearbox shifts up. It will gladly downshift two ratios at a time if it senses urgency in your foot flexing. Plus, you can also tug at the paddles behind the wheel to take manual control of the gear shifts.
The CLA rides well too. The suspension offers a good balance between comfort and sportiness. The bias is definitely towards the latter, that gives it great agility. However, it’s quite adept at absorbing low-speed bumps.
The steering too has decent heft and straight-line stability is appreciable, but the car doesn’t change direction with as much eagerness as its sporty looks would suggest. That said, it does not disappoint under normal, or even mildly enthusiastic driving.
If you don’t currently plan on buying a CLA, the refresh is unlikely to change your mind. However, with C-Class prices nudging and even crossing the Rs 50 lakh mark, the stylish CLA has become more convincing as the entry-point sedan for those who crave the three-pointed-star badge in their garage, offering a bit more prestige and practicality than the A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks. However, at an estimated Rs 36 lakh, it is by no means something you could call ‘affordable’. The equipment, space and performance on offer, while good, don’t really justify that price tag, but the stunning looks and prestige value certainly do.
Ex-showroom price
Rs 36 lakh (est, ex-showroom, Delhi)
Engine
1991cc, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol
Power
184hp at 5500rpm
Torque
300Nm at 1200-400rpm
Gearbox
7-speed dual-clutch auto
