Mercedes-Benz CLA 2019 Review - Australia

You get what you pay for. It’s an adage we hear time and again. More often than not, and especially when applied to prestige cars, it’s an axiom that doesn’t ring true.

But looking at the standard equipment levels in the pricier new Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 and I dare say it’s pretty decent value for money. Better still, it’s a bloody good-looking car.

OK, that’s a pretty subjective way to start a review. But four-door ‘coupe’ buyers understand the form-over-function design of cars like the CLA-Class irrespective of any practical arguments made to the contrary – and good for them.

This is a car you buy with your heart not your head; and if spending a little more to buy something that suits one’s sense of style offends you in any way, then perhaps it’s best you stop reading now.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 has a starting price of $59,500 (plus on-road costs) -- approximately 10 per cent more than the outgoing CLA 180.

It’s available locally only in sedan format, meaning the wagon (or Shooting Brake) body style won’t be sold Down Under; which is a bit of a pity, really.

But the good news is the front-wheel drive CLA 200 will be joined soon by sportier, all-wheel drive CLA 250 4MATIC, CLA 35 4MATIC and zesty AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ variants. Lose some, win some.

Standard equipment levels are high for the new CLA 200 and the technology kit list especially lengthy. Locally, the CLA 200 receives Merc’s MBUX voice-activated infotainment interface including a pair of 10.25-inch touch-screens stretched across the dash.

There’s also Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, digital radio, active parking assist, auto lights and wipers, LED headlights and ambient interior lighting, to name but a few.

Safety equipment extends to active brake assist with semi-autonomous braking, adaptive high-beam assist, blind spot assist with exit warning assistant, active lane keeping assist, traffic sign assist, and Mercedes-Benz’s PRE-SAFE accident anticipation system. It’s equipment that will be carried over to the all-wheel drive variants.

As detailed when we drove it at the international launch, the second-generation CLA Coupe is substantially larger than its predecessor. It’s longer (+48mm), wider (+53mm) and rides on a longer wheelbase (+30mm), with a wider front (+63mm) and rear (+55mm) track.

Mercedes-Benz says these dimensional changes elicit more interior space including as much as 17mm additional headroom in the front, and elbow-room increases of as much as 44mm.

The boot, although smaller in capacity, now features a 262mm wider aperture for the easier loading and unloading of luggage. Cargo space totals 460 litres.

Visually, fit and finish is excellent and there’s a genuine sense of quality to almost all of the controls. I say ‘almost’ because the indicator and gearshift stalks feel cheap and plasticky, and there was a very evident vibration through the steering column noticed when driving over even minor imperfections in the road.

Those points aside, the cabin is a lovely place to be, and every bit as attractive as the CLA’s svelte, stylish body.
With looks mimicking those of the larger CLS-Class, the CLA 200 is a very handsome car.

Unlike the outgoing C117-series, the new Hungarian-built model is attractive from any angle. It boasts a ridiculously low drag coefficient (0.23Cd), and with a slightly forward-leaning stance looks sporty when sitting still – a point aided to good effect by the standard AMG exterior pack.

Realistically, that rakish shape does impinge on rear-seat headroom slightly, and can obstruct outward vision from the backseat. The fixed rear quarter windows also get in the way when exiting the car – a true frameless-door car the CLA is not.

I can hear it now: “A 1332cc engine is fine for a motorcycle, but it has no place under the bonnet of a Mercedes”. Realistically, however, the Benz engine is impressive for the outputs it delivers on paper (120kW/250Nm) and for its remarkable efficiency when considering the weight of the car (1471kg tare).

In around-town driving and highway cruising it’s relatively inoffensive. It motivates the car with appropriate gusto and feels like a good match for the ‘200’ badge. But push a little harder, or drive up a winding and undulating road, and that clean façade falls away.

The 1.3-litre unit is incredible sensitive to throttle input and just as over-zealous to change gear. It’s almost like the engine is over-thinking or even anticipating each application of the throttle and trying to give the driver more than is required.

It’s a fizzy and unpleasant engine when pushed, and despite generating adequate acceleration, it just doesn’t feel refined enough to be powering such a beautiful car.

Like many small-capacity turbocharged engines the direct-injected M282 needs a lot of boost to operate at its peak, and outside of Sport mode it’s reluctant to hold the revs it requires to smoothly maintain pace.

The Bridgestone rubber on the CLA 200 is quite vocal on abrasive surfaces and detracts from what’s an otherwise smooth and quiet ride.

The chassis isn’t easily upset by pockmarked or lumpy roads and the steering remains accurate when challenged. In short, it takes a pretty big pothole to upset the Mercedes’ ride.

Premium cars at this price point are all about attracting new buyers to the brand. If the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 can’t do that, then I don’t know what will.

This is an extremely well kitted, attractive and composed vehicle that, unless pushed, is also a pleasure to drive in 90 per cent of environments.

In terms of value for money it’s pretty hard to look past the CLA 200. It might be more expensive than its forebear, but it’s worlds apart in terms of what you get for your money and, in my mind, its looks and packaging as well.

Aussies might not love the engine in the CLA 200, but with more powerful all-wheel drive models just around the corner, buyers of svelte, stylish European prestige cars have never been more spoilt for choice.

How much does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 cost?
Price: $59,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 120kW/250Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 130g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019)