Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 2019 Review

“The CLA is clearly the athlete in our compact car. There is plenty of driving fun,” the head of exterior design at Mercedes-Benz, Achim Badstuebner, tells carsales.com.au.

“It’s a big step from the previous once. This one is nicer. This is not an A-Class. It is a coupe -- it has its own way.”

Badstuebner laughs as he is reminded that the CLA is being introduced in Munich, literally just down the road from BMW’s global headquarters. And he is just as eager as he goes into the detail on the car, which has grown to almost the same exterior dimensions as the C-Class sedan.

“The first thing we started with was a new face. But the magic number for this car is 50mm,” he says.

“The rear-end is 50mm wider on each side. We lowered the bonnet by 50mm. The headlights are 50mm tall. This gives it slim looking eyes and makes it look much lower.”

Badstuebner says the combination of his ‘fifties’ makes a big difference to the new Mercedes-Benz CLA.

“It gives the car a much wider stance. The car sits much better on the road. It’s important that you can see it, and can feel it.”

“The car still appears fairly small. We have used one character line for the whole body side. The rest of the car is very soft and that’s probably the biggest differentiation from the previous model.

“There is a lot of Coke bottle design in the rear of the car. So the whole fender looks much more voluptuous.”

The mechanical package of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA is lifted from the latest A-Class, including the multi-link rear suspension which doesn’t make it into the basic starter car.

The driveline in the CLA 200 is a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with 120kW and 250Nm, matched to a seven-speed DCT (dual-clutch automatic) transmission.

Shifting up to a 165kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo four with the same transmission but this time all-wheel drive is the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4MATIC.

Apart from the engines, there is also plenty of safety stuff including radar cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

The body measurements of the CLA reflect the effort to build more space into the car, following feedback from owners. There is an extra 30mm in the wheelbase, 17mmm more rear headroom and up to an extra 44mm in shoulder and elbow room.

The only numbers to roll back are the overall height and boot capacity, which is 460 litres.

Benz claims a near-record drag co-efficient of 0.23Cd, the car has LED headlights on all models and optional equipment in Germany runs to hand-gesture recognition and even an ‘Energising Coach’ that links to a smart watch to suggest ’the ideal driving comfort’.

Here the new Mercedes-Benz CLA looks good. Modern. More youthful.

That impression is confirmed when a superseded CLA rolls up the street in Munich, looking just a touch dowdy and with a grille that is over-done and try-hard.

First-up, it’s a sit in the back to test Benz’s claims of more space led by 17mm of extra headroom. It’s there, but the rear is still really only a plus-two space for adults, particularly if the front seats are pushed back.

The cabin looks good, a touch more upscale than the A-Class, but several cars have A-pillar covers that don’t fit properly and there are some squeaks on the road. Perhaps a sign that the press preview cars have been rushed into action.

We’re into the CLA 250 first and the performance is suitably brisk, with sharp steering but a lumpy ride in the city centre.

The rest of our run was on super-smooth German country roads, so it’s hard to say how the car will feel in Australia, particularly as the demo fleet all had the optional active dampers.

The CLA is eager to impress and the lumpiness disappears at around 90km/h, but the car never felt quite settled.

Surprisingly, the ride was better in the Sport setting and the engine-management better in Comfort -- the reverse of most cars. It’s not a deal-breaker, but a touch annoying.

During some press-on driving over a few twisting country roads the 250 sits flat and has good grip at both ends.

The CLA 200 is just as solid in the basics and, if anything, travels nicer. The performance is fine but still the ride is not as smooth or controlled as I would like.

It's harder than usual to rate the cars without the benefit of local roads. Benz says the basic suspension for the CLA in Australia will be sports steel springs, which sit the cars 20mm lower than standard and promise the potential of better balance and ride control.

But for the moment the new CLA emerges from Germany much better looker and with worthwhile improvements in all areas, but a question mark over how it will ride Down Under.

How much does the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 and 250 4MATIC cost?
Price: From $50,000 (estimate)
Engines: 1.4-litre and 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Outputs: 120kW/250Nm and 165kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.2L/100km and 6.7L/100km
CO2: 143g/km and 153g/km
Safety: TBC