First Drive: Mercedes-Benz CLA
by Joanne Ahern • June 12, 2013 • Car Reviews, First Drives
The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a beautiful looking car
Mercedes-Benz has brought three new cars to the Irish market with the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the new E-Class Coupé and the E-Class Cabriolet.
We got a chance to take the new CLA AMG Sport for a spin at the Irish press launch earlier this week.
A four-door, the Mercedes-Benz CLA is based on the the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class, sharing its looks with the CLS Coupé.
It’s a seriously stylish looking car, especially in white, and Mercedes-Benz is keen to attract a generation of younger buyers behind the wheel of this model.
Inside, the Mountain Grey metallic coloured car I was driving had a sporty feel to it, kitted out in Artico Man Made dark leather/Dinamica microfibre upholstery with red stitching.
The test car was also very well specced, with air conditioning, cruise control, USB port, Bluetooth, attention assist, collision prevention assist, Stop/Start technology and 18” alloy wheels just some of the features.
I particularly liked the excellent reversing camera, which was very easy to follow. The design of the air con vents was also eye catching.
Mercedes-Benz models tend to have a very flat dash/cockpit area, resulting in generous leg room in the front of the car. The back was also quite spacious, as was the boot.
The cabin in the Mercedes-Benz CLA is very well sound proofed
Mercedes-Benz does serene very well and this was also the case in the CLA AMG Sport model I was driving.
Boasting a 2.2-litre CLA 220 CDI 170bhp engine, a top speed of 230kph and an acceleration time of 0-100kph in 8.2 seconds this seven-speed automatic always felt calm and collected, gliding along the road.
Our short journey took us mainly on national and motorway roads with a few roundabouts thrown in for good measure and handling was smooth and assured.
This car has made quite an impression on first drive and I’m looking forward to putting it through its paces on a range of different road conditions.
Five trim levels will be offered in the new CLA range, with a choice of six-speed manual or 7G-automatic transmissions, depending on the model.
Comfort suspension is standard, with sport available as an option.
Mercedes-Benz highlights a drag coefficient of 0.22 in the CLA 180 BE, with fuel economy of 4.2-litres/100km.
The model line up initially consists of a 1.6-litre CLA 180 BE petrol or a 2.2-litre CLA 220 CDI diesel automatic, with prices for the petrol starting from €29,900 and the diesel automatic costing €10,000 more.
A 200 CDI diesel will be added to the range later this summer, with a starting price tag of €34,900. A 180 CDI will complete the CLA range next year, with prices for that starting from €32,250.
Options in the 2.2-litre CLA 220 CDI diesel automatic model I was driving brought the cost up to €43,872.
Mercedes-Benz sales manager in Ireland, Ciaran Allen said: ‘The all new CLA is part of a new generation of compact cars and just one of ten new models – all without predecessors – that will arrive in Ireland over the next four years.’
Visit the Mercedes-Benz Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.
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