New Mercedes-Benz CLA now on sale

The all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA is now being rolled out in Australia, where a starting price of $59,500 plus on-road costs has been announced for the CLA 200 – the only variant available initially.

The near-$60,000 starting price is $6000 more than the outgoing CLA 200’s price tag ($53,500), and over $10,000 more than the old CLA 180, which opened the previous CLA range at $49,400.

So far there’s no sign of replacements for the previous CLA 180 base model or the CLA 220d diesel, and the new CLA Shooting Brake wagon won’t be coming to Australia this time round.

While CLA 250 and AMG CLA 35 4MATIC Coupe variants will be added to the range by the end of the year, there will be a sting in the tail early in 2020 when the mighty 310kW/500Nm Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Coupe joins the line-up.

The standard feature list for Australia where the original CLA was the top-selling luxury car after Mercedes’ own C-Class, is comprehensive.

The 2019 CLA 200 bristles with high-tech electronics, including the MBUX interface with two 10.25-inch touch-screens stretching across the dash that was first seen in the 2018 A-Class.

The system incorporates a voice-recognition feature that enables calling-up of such things as sat-nav controls, phone numbers, climate-control settings and radio stations.

Other standard equipment includes Active Parking Assist, Auto LED headlights, ARTICO/DINAMICA interior trim, 64-colour ambient lighting, digital radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and steering-wheel shift paddles.

But it can be added to endlessly with bundled options such as Mulitbeam LED headlights, adaptive high-beam assist, panoramic sunroof and a 360-degree camera that come with a $2490 ‘Vision Package’.

There’s also 12-speaker Burmester surround-sound and head-up display as part of an also-$2490 Communication Package, and a $2990 Exclusive Package that brings open-pore black trim, climate-controlled front seats, Lugano leather upholstery and the Benz ENERGISING “comfort control” system.

The safety rollcall includes 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 the company’s PRE-SAFE accident anticipation system.

In its initial CLA 200 guise, the second-generation mid-size four-door coupe is powered by the company’s 120kW/250Nm direct-injected 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine powering the front wheels through a dual-clutch seven-speed 7G-DCT auto transmission.

As we’ve reported, the new CLA kicks off a new generation of Benz coupes, and the four-cylinder CLA 200 gets a longer-nosed look that belies its front-drive configuration.

It also gets more length and width, as well as a stretched-out wheelbase, that all contribute to a roomier interior with better elbow, shoulder and headroom at front and rear. The boot is easier to access as well, via a much-wider (by 262mm) opening.

While Mercedes-Benz says the new CLA Coupe adopts the styling language of the CLS, inspiration from the AMG GT -- in both two-door and four-door form -- is evident in its rear-end styling. The lengthier front-end is complemented by wider tracks with flared wheel-arches and a hunky, Coke-bottle look for the rear shoulders.

The end result, amplified by the standard use of AMG Line exterior styling touches, is not just a more purposeful look, but also an improvement in aerodynamics: The CLA 200 quotes a Cd figure of just 0.23, which the company says is beaten only by the A-Class sedan’s world-beating 0.22Cd.

How much does the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe cost?
CLA 200 (a) -- $59,500