NEWS
DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Mercedes-Benz CLA pics leaked
International website blows the cover off mini CLSA website catering to motor enthusiasts has broken the publication embargo applied by Mercedes-Benz to the manufacturer's new CLA model.
It's a sure sign that the wait for the sexy small Mercedes-Benz sedan has been a long and arduous one – and especially for those unable to contain themselves.
Clearly derivative of the Concept Style Coupe from early last year, the new CLA carries over all of that car's swoops and sweeps and will slide into Mercedes-Benz Australia’s lineup later in the year beneath the C-Class sedan but above the A-Class.
“The most frequent response we got from the Concept Style Coupe was: Put it into production,” Mercedes-Benz Chairman, Dr Dieter Zetsche was quoted saying in the company's press material. “That’s precisely what we’re doing now.”
It’s a car Mercedes-Benz desperately needs, with its new A-Class being comprehensively pounded by the BMW 1-Series, the Audi A3 and even the new Volkswagen Golf in European comparison tests. To make the Benz’s need for the car even more urgent, Audi is about to reveal its own A3 sedan and BMW will have a sedan version of its 1-Series on sale in 2015.
The third model off Mercedes-Benz’s modular front-drive architecture (after the B- and A-classes), the CLA will be pitched as being more athletic and sportier than either of them. And AMG has a hotshot CLA 45 version already waiting to go with around 130kW of power per litre, based around the mechanicals of the A45 AMG.
It shares its basics with its siblings, including engines, transmissions, electronics and some of the interior features, but that means unlike the larger C-Class it uses a transverse engine layout and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive will be optional, though Australia will likely only receive the all-paw option with the most expensive engine offerings.
It traces a definite line from Gorden Wagener’s Detroit concept sculpture from two years ago and while it has its own distinct character, it shares much of its proportioning with the CLS sedan. Mercedes won’t stop there, though, and the CLA will also spawn its own SUV (as is the way of the modern world), dubbed the GLA which will be seen at October’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
The car will be 4630mm long, 1777mm wide and 1437mm high, which means it’s actually slightly longer and wider than the C-Class sedan, though significantly lower.
It will seat up to five people, though four-seat layouts are also optional, complete with a full-length console, while its boot space is similar to the current C-Class.
It will share a lot of its interior design components, such as round air vents and the floating instrument cluster, with the A-Class, though Benz has attacked hard to reach down into a younger buyer profile by giving its entertainment systems the capacity to integrate with any current smart phone.
“We aim to reach new target groups with the CLA – including those who never intended driving a Mercedes-Benz,” Mercedes-Benz vice-president of Sales and Marketing, Joachim Schmidt, said.
While it is being talked of as the sportiest of the cars off the front-drive architecture, that doesn’t mean Benz has ignored economy and it already has plans to combine the 0.22 Cd of slippery aerodynamics with the 1.8-litre turbo-diesel engine to create a hyper efficient CLA180 Blue Efficiency Edition.
It is believed the CLA will debut with two petrol engines and two diesel engines, both already found in the A- and B-classes. All early CLAs will be front-wheel drive with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, with the dual-clutch units posting the most economical consumption numbers.
Developed with Renault and built in Renault’s Spanish production plant, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has 90kW in the CLA180 or 115kW in the more expensive CLA200. For real performance, Benz fits the CLA with its own 155kW, 2.0-litre turbo unit to create the CLA250.
Over on the diesel side, there is a 1.8-litre 100kW motor for the CLA200 CDI or a 2.1-litre turbo-diesel with 125kW for the CLA220CDI. No, we can’t work out the names, either.
The best of the range averages 109 grams of CO2/km while the thirstiest, the CLA250, emits 144 grams. The diesels will be better, though Benz hasn’t released official numbers yet.
Its suspension will also come from the A-Class, with MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear suspension, though both the comfort and sport setups will be sportier than the A-Class setup.
As you expect with a modern Benz, Mercedes is hoping for five NCAP stars and has fitted it with everything from drowsy driver detection to radar collision systems.
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Written byMichael Taylor
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If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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