Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2016 Review

What’s it all about?
This is the cheapest Mercedes-Benz sedan, or four-door coupe, money can buy.

At $52,500 (plus on-road costs), the recently-updated CLA 200 is the baby of the booted ‘Benz brigade and a sister car to the equivalent A-Class hatch range, which starts at $37,200 (plus on-road costs).

The CLA-Class was recently updated in Australia with subtle exterior designs and added interior equipment, both in ‘four-door coupe’ and Shooting Brake wagon forms.

As before the range kicks off with the petrol-powered 200, moving up through the diesel-powered 200d and petrol 250 Sport before reaching the heady (and expensive) heights of the performance flagship CLA 45 4MATIC AMG.

Recent changes to the CLA 200 represent an $1100 price hike over the predecessor model first introduced in 2013, though Mercedes-Benz counters the spike with the fact it now has more standard gear than before.

The CLA 200 now gains fixed LED headlights, digital radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Dynamic Select driving models, ambient lighting and a diamond grille design.

That’s on top of 18-inch alloys, a six-speaker stereo, reversing camera, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, push-button ignition and heated electric folding mirrors.

On the safety front all CLAs continue to come with nine airbags, Active Brake Assist, Blind Spot Assist, PRE-SAFE, Parking Pilot, ATTENTION ASSIST and an active bonnet. However, there is no adaptive cruise control and you get partial autonomous emergency braking instead of the full program fitted to other three-pointed star vehicles.

A tyre inflation kit comes in the absence of a regular spare tyre, while manufacturer warranty is set at three years/unlimited kilometres. Servicing is set at every 12 months of 25,000km, with the option of capping the price of maintenance for $1980 over the first three years of ownership.

Anecdotally, those who were curious enough to ask the price of the vehicle in person were pleasantly shocked when they discovered it was $50k. Yep, there’s still a good amount of presence in this baby ‘Benz.

The elder statesmen of the Mercedes fraternity may scoff at the CLA’s positioning, but it is actually a compelling little front-drive four-door in the skin. Albeit a very expensive one.

The car’s driving mannerisms feel polished thanks to well-acquitted steering, admirable body control and a general air of refinement courtesy of decent noise suppression. Strong outward vision and large side mirrors make the CLA easy to place on the road and in car parks alike, while ‘Benz’s proven  electronic controls suite (ABS, stability et al) provide re-assurance at the wheel.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are both welcome appointments to the Benz’s infotainment system – especially as BMW asks you to pay an additional $479 for the luxury on the updated 1 Series. The COMAND software is otherwise showing its age though, being harder to navigate than rivalling systems.

There are some telling styling and equipment omissions on the Benz that may appear hidden among all the tinsel.

The first is the car’s lack of electric seats, a feature highlighted by cheap plastic in the space that would normally be occupied by the seat switchgear and controls.

Though Mercedes claims a zero to 100km/h time of 7.9sec, the CLA 200 works pretty hard to get there and cannot back up those claims in terms of mid-gear acceleration. The engine’s peak power materialises from 5300rpm, which equates to quite a bit of shuffling from the seven-speed transmission under load to gather pace. This is augmented with more than a couple of passengers on board.

And on the fuel front, we averaged 7.5L/100km in mostly highway driving, well over the claim.

The car’s suspension may prove a bone of contention for some as well. It is notably firmer than the German marque’s regular passenger offerings, with busy progress at most speeds and a propensity to thud over larger obstacles in the road.

The CLA 200 will appeal mostly to those looking to get into the Mercedes-Benz fold for the first time.

Its youthful yet stylish mix of technology, efficiency and refinement make the 200 an equally adept fit in either younger or slightly older demographics.

But in either, the truth is that the 200 is far from a family car. The cabin proportions are quite short on leg room, and head space and shoulder room for rear occupants, particularly the strong side profile taper, which restricts headroom on the outer rear pews. The 470-litre boot is more passenger friendly, though accommodating one large suitcase, or a handful of smaller ones at once.

So, what do we think?

The CLA 200 is a compelling first step into the Mercedes-Benz fold – especially if you’re set on the three-pointed star.

That said, if you can make do with the much cheaper and spatially similar A-Class, then save your money, or if you can stretch a little further, the slightly larger C-Class is a more compelling proposition overall.

At this price-point there’s also the newly updated and $11k cheaper Audi A3, which also deserves equal cause for consideration.