Test driving the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

A whole generation of cars in a variety of subsegments has spawned ever since the MercedesBenz CLSClass made its debut back in 2004 The big saloon with a swooping roofline created a fantastic success story for itself leaving a trail of clues for rivals to flatter MB with imitation A democratic representation of the CLSrsquos revolutionary expression in automotive design the CLA is out here to redefine what one should expect from a premium car in its price range stylisticallyDesign and styleIt holds the world record for being the most aerodynamically correct production automobile saving precious fuel every inch it moves and killing less butterflies in the process Sharing its face with the swashbuckling Aclass to a large extent the CLA has a swagger of its own Low squat with an aggressive snout those power bulges on the bonnet and a pair of boomerang LED daytime running lights mdash the CLA looks decidedly sportyCurvy allLED tail lamps add a lot of oomph to the hind side especially when litThe shape of its grille is the same as the AClass The glittery diamonds on the latter have been replaced by glossy black studs here for distinction and a bit of cost saving too The avantgarde grill features a satin silver slat with shiny chrome on top holding the big triple pointed star with pride in the middle making the CLA look absolutely smashing from the front Aggressive central and side air dams further enhance the CLArsquos sporty appearance Those pronounced creases atop the bonnet or what Mercedes prefers calling power domes have been used outside of an AMG product for the first timeClassy fivespoke twotone 17 inch wheels wrapped around by 225 section tubeless tyres PICSAMIT CHHANGANIOn the sides in addition to that sharply dipping roofline the two creases shared with the SClass and the Cclass make an appearance on the CLS as well The greenhouse is lined with thick hiquality chrome The 5spoke twotone 17 inch wheels look sporty and add vastly to the CLArsquos appeal The boot deck looks particularly good with its integrated spoiler Those frameless doors look astonishing too but thatrsquos something you get to behold only when the car is at a standstill and the doors are swung openDoors with frameless windows look astonishing but one can only notice them when they are swung openThe rear is dominated by that curvy LED taillamp which looks fantastic when lit A black diffuser beneath the rear bumper accentuated by chrome and flanked by twin trapezoidal exhausts lends the CLArsquos rear a distinctive premium aggressive airPowertrain and performanceThe CLA upon its launch will be offered with two engine options Petrol power comes in the form of an 1991cc 4cylinder petrol engine with 181bhp of power produced at 5500 rpm The engine also produces 300 Nm of torque between 12001400 rpm There is also a 2143cc turbo diesel on offer with 136bhp of power output 36004400 rpm with torque output rated at 300Nm between 1600 and 3000 rpm Both engines come mated with the 7GDCT dual clutch transmission with ECO Manual and Sport modes to select from and steering mounted pedal shifters for manual shiftsThe freestanding central screen is now bigger at 178 cm more hiresolution and boasts a bunch of new featuresWe drove the CLA in both the options during Mercedesrsquo media drive event Letrsquos begin with the less powerful diesel engine first The power output of 136bhp isnrsquot too high and resultantly the diesel powered CLA isnrsquot a particularly quick car There is a fair bit of engine noise filtering into the cabin tooThe upside however is the linear nature of the engine delivering bushels of torque from as low as 1300 rpm and endowing the CLA with great cruising capabilities with very low consumption The diesel CLA does its 0100kmh sprint in a little less than 10 seconds which isnrsquot very quick The ARAIcertified fuel efficiency of 179 kmpl is segment leading though As we discovered during the drive the 21 litre engine is a fine companion for stressfree relaxed cruising with a high fuel efficiency output Itrsquos got ample torque for reassuring overtakes when required it doesnrsquot like being hustled thoughThe 20 litre petrol variant however is a fine performer The 0100kmh timing for this one is 78 seconds and the fuel efficiency figure at 1504 kmpl is impressive for the engine size Redlined at 5700 rpm this engine isnrsquot a particularly high revving one but has plenty of shove at hand Unlike the relatively unhurried diesel the petrol powered CLA feels sporty and intent The difference in acceleration is very evident right from the word go With its higher output and no forced induction the petrol engine feels a more natural option for the athletically styled CLA We could have done with a sportier sound note and bit more revhappiness for the engine thoughAs mentioned before both engines come mated with the 7GDCT dual clutch transmission It does a great job of swapping ratios efficiently and intelligently in the auto mode and doesnrsquot leave much to complain about for everyday driving Response to kickdowns takes a teeny bit which is acceptable in most cases but sometimes when yoursquore really gunning for it makes you wish it were that slight bit quicker The petrol variant quite naturally is the pick of the two options for its superior performance The diesel CLA is practical and efficient but it canrsquot bring that wicked grin to your faceRide and handlingMercedesBenz has worked extensively on the suspension of the CLA to ensure that it suits the requirements of the Indian customers particularly well The ride height has also been raised marginally to let it sail smoothly over the turbulent Indian roads And what an exemplary job have they pulled off The CLA absolutely astonishes with its ability to flatten any impediments the notorious Indian roads may throw at itOf the two variants on offer here the diesel feels a bit more nose heavy as compared to the petrol Thanks to the added weight it feels ever so marginally softer than the petrol version The lighter petrol variant feels very mildly more firm When pushed around tighter bends the petrol version also feels a more neutral exhibiting less understeer The steering on both cars is medially weighed at slow to medium speeds It gathers weight as you build speed though doesnrsquot feel as heavy as on some of the other German carsJust like the suspension the steering also insulates you from the information about whatrsquos being trampled by those Contisport tyres The feel and feedback at the wheel isnrsquot something great to write home about though itrsquos quite precise and allows you to place the car confidently while handling bends High speed stability in a straight line is fantastic tooInterior and featuresThe CLA Class shares its immaculately built cabin with the A and B class to a large extent The turbineshaped five aircon vents on the dashboard steering wheel the door panels the space between the seats mdash almost everything is shared between the three modelsTherersquos a very perceptible solidity about the MercedesBenz cabins and the perception has only strengthened with the newer models The quality of materials used among other things is where mainstream Mercedes cars really stand out and the CLA is no different So while most bits on the dash of the CLA are shared with its smaller A and B class siblings the infotainment system what MercedesBenz likes calling NTG5 version is an upgrade over the NTG version 45 that the older cars ran The freestanding central screen is now bigger at 178 cm more hiresolution and boasts a bunch of new featuresTo start with it supports two USB slots now and also has an SD card slot which powers the maps for the upgraded Garmin satnav The new screen also allows for showing photos and playing them in a slideshow You can now use the screen to browse the Internet using your phonersquos Internet connection via BluetoothA couple of new MercedesBenz apps have also been added to the interface though these require a strong and constant Internet connectivity to function properly Panoramic sunroof is offered standard and features rain sensors for an autoshut function on detecting water Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system comes as standard with the CLA and as you would assume sounds fantasticAlso standard is a reverse parking camera The space at the backseat thanks to the stylish roofline has taken a hit The headroom is a bit of an issue and the six footers would find their heads constantly brushing with the CLArsquos roof Legroom though manageable is not generousRear seats like their frontal counterparts are sportily designed in a bucket shape and along with a lack of width mean that the CLA can seat only two in comfort at the back There is no dearth of cubbyholes and small storage spaces in the CLA what takes the cake really though is the 470 litres of boot space which is unmatched in the class Unfortunately a big percentage of that space is taken up by the space saver spare which sits atop the boot floorVerdictThe CLA class will be imported to India via the CBU route for the first couple of months so donrsquot expect a very aggressive price tag MB India will start assembling the car locally by April 2015 but the prices are not expected to go down significantly even then Wersquoll reserve the final word till January 22 which is the launch date of the car What we can say conclusively for now though is that the CLA has style quality and features as its strong USPs For the style and image conscious it doesnrsquot quite have a match and if the premium segment is all about image it should tower above all its rivals Price to be announcedTechnical specsEngine 1991 cc petrol2143 cc turbo dieselCylinders 4 cyl4 cylPower 181bhp 5500 rpm136bhp 36004400Torque 300 Nm 12001400 rpm300 Nm 16003000 rpmFuel efficiency 1504kmpl179kmpl