RE: All-new CLA is 'cleverest Mercedes ever made'
Discussion
greggy50 said:
At £45k I think Tesla should be very worried personally...
The range and charging speeds are very very impressive which seems to be overlooked in the comments. Near enough a claimed 500 miles probably means a real world 400 mile range without having a stupidly big battery. This feels like a bit step forwards to me.
Yup, this next gen of EVs coming through from the legacy manufacturers seems a pretty big step on. The next 3 series is sounding like it’ll be a useful advancement too. It’s fascinating watching the EV transition play out. The range and charging speeds are very very impressive which seems to be overlooked in the comments. Near enough a claimed 500 miles probably means a real world 400 mile range without having a stupidly big battery. This feels like a bit step forwards to me.
greggy50 said:
At £45k I think Tesla should be very worried personally...
The range and charging speeds are very very impressive which seems to be overlooked in the comments. Near enough a claimed 500 miles probably means a real world 400 mile range without having a stupidly big battery. This feels like a bit step forwards to me.
The tech specs are very good. Just a shame the dash was designed for 5 year olds.The range and charging speeds are very very impressive which seems to be overlooked in the comments. Near enough a claimed 500 miles probably means a real world 400 mile range without having a stupidly big battery. This feels like a bit step forwards to me.
kilham5 said:
CountyAFC said:
Dashboard looks like an electronic childs activity centre.
Because that is exactly what it is.Appealing to its generational market.
This car is an entry level Mercedes designed for people in their 20s to get into (look who is leasing the current model) and whether us oldies like it or not they want all kinds of media integration and assistance systems. Shouting at the clouds is not going to make it go away
If this can really do the range it is stated then its a game changer for the electric market and at that cost why would you buy a model 3 over this?
Do relatively wealthy 20 somethings really want creeping assistance/interference systems?
Interactive “Tech” I can understand more readily but safety beeps, bongs and self steer and braking etc? Or is that not what you mean?
Edited to add - maybe they do. I can imagine autonomous and semi-autonomous driving having some appeal.
Interactive “Tech” I can understand more readily but safety beeps, bongs and self steer and braking etc? Or is that not what you mean?
Edited to add - maybe they do. I can imagine autonomous and semi-autonomous driving having some appeal.
Edited by scenario8 on Thursday 13th March 22:54
scenario8 said:
Do relatively wealthy 20 somethings really want creeping assistance/interference systems?
Interactive “Tech” I can understand more readily but safety beeps, bongs and self steer and braking etc? Or is that not what you mean?
Edited to add - maybe they do. I can imagine autonomous and semi-autonomous driving having some appeal.
Exactly, your edit is the key. We have to accept that what the vast majority of people on this website think is no longer relevant and in reality someone born today will probably actually never drive a car as it will be autonomous in the future. We already also see that Gen Z are less interested in driving. All the things that concern us won’t concern the majority of them. Of course there is always the outliers saying “I’m 20 and I sniff petrol daily” but in reality that pool is getting smaller by the day Interactive “Tech” I can understand more readily but safety beeps, bongs and self steer and braking etc? Or is that not what you mean?
Edited to add - maybe they do. I can imagine autonomous and semi-autonomous driving having some appeal.
Edited by scenario8 on Thursday 13th March 22:54
cerb4.5lee said:
I'm old and I dislike almost all EVs, but weirdly I actually like the full touchscreen dash in this though to be honest. Far better than the stuck on iPad look that you get normally in a lot of modern cars now for me.
Agree with that. I guess it’s based on the hyperscreen in the most expensive models. Does look better than the tacked on screen silvermog said:
How can the company that designed and delivered a classic dash like this:
now be pushing out sparkly dinky Fisher Price interiors/dashes like these:
Not much progress TBH
It has gone full circle. It seems a bit incongruous that for all the automation/guidance/whatever in modern cars you would think there'd be less screens but there's now more than ever. To the extent that that they can reach from one side of the car to the other. It's nicely integrated into the form of the dashboard though. A bit of a recipe for intense car sickness for some though. Hopefully MB have a washable carpet and a conveniently placed drain plug in the front passenger footwell.... now be pushing out sparkly dinky Fisher Price interiors/dashes like these:
Not much progress TBH
Edited by rodericb on Friday 14th March 00:40
craigjm said:
Exactly, your edit is the key. We have to accept that what the vast majority of people on this website think is no longer relevant and in reality someone born today will probably actually never drive a car as it will be autonomous in the future. We already also see that Gen Z are less interested in driving. All the things that concern us won’t concern the majority of them. Of course there is always the outliers saying “I’m 20 and I sniff petrol daily” but in reality that pool is getting smaller by the day
Yes. Young people today have different priorities for cars than young people of the past. I wonder how many people posting on this forum are 17-25?"11th February 2025 – The era of flashy spoilers and booming subwoofers is giving way to seamless smartphone connectivity and built-in tech, as Gen Z car buyers prioritise gadgets over exterior style.
According to research from the UK’s largest automotive marketplace Auto Trader, nearly two thirds (63%) of drivers aged between 17-25 stated that the car’s technology features are more important than what it looks like when looking to buy a car.
This is compared to just under a quarter of 47-55 year olds today when asked the same question when they were looking to buy their first car in the mid-nineties. The research saw Auto Trader survey 1,000 17-25 year olds today and 1,000 47-55 year olds today who were aged 17-25 in 1994 to get unique insights into the first cars they drove.
Social media is also driving this shift. With a 22,300% increase in dash cam interest on TikTok and a 321% rise in car accessories searches, over the last four months, young drivers are turning to the platform to inspire purchase decisions. Around one in ten (11%) even use TikTok to help them find their first car—highlighting its growing influence in the car-buying journey."
https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/news-views/press-rele...
salmanorguk said:
sidesauce said:
ersonally I love that both those TV shows you mention exist as I made a lot of money writing music for both of them!
Aside from that, I have no problem with any of the designs (chrome, badges and other markers of success) - the West is dying and the East is fast emerging as the culture that matters. Their taste isn't the same as yours and that's ok; what you call vulgar is seen as desirable in other places.
Ha! The real life Charlie Sheen! I never watched the latter but the former was good.Aside from that, I have no problem with any of the designs (chrome, badges and other markers of success) - the West is dying and the East is fast emerging as the culture that matters. Their taste isn't the same as yours and that's ok; what you call vulgar is seen as desirable in other places.
I agree that everyone has different tastes and opinions, but I personally think this 'we design for the East who like this sort of stuff' has become a bit of a marketing trope and is maybe slightly racist (ie. the East isn't as cultured as the West). Is it instead used by these companies to mask laziness and lack of forward thinking?
For instance, I have family in a few Eastern countries and also have friends who've moved to countries such as Dubai, UAE, etc; they say a lot of nationals, and they themselves, have become bored of this brashness as well; amusingly declaring it a 'tourist thing'.
As for the 'slightly racist' argument, I disagree; the fact is that Europe has held the vast majority of wealth and cultural power for hundreds of years whereas the Middle East wasn't of any cultural significance to the West 100 years ago and Far Eastern wealth/culture wasn't anything to speak of even 50 years ago; I say let them enjoy what they have, they've quite literally earned it. I don't think it's a question of who is more or less cultured at all, it's just the East doesn't carry the guilt associated with the conservative "flaunting is vulgar" attitude of old money seen in (particularly) Northern/Western Europe and there's nothing wrong with that.
kersThis will appeal its market target. This forum input is biased and irrelevant in influencing the design new cars.
I don’t mind it, it’s just a modern small car nothing exciting. The screens don’t bother me as they once did. My cars have all large screens and once you set up the heating etc there is little need to touch them when driving. Non issue for the way I use my cars.
I am glad new cars are churning out because the industry feels very stable.
I don’t mind it, it’s just a modern small car nothing exciting. The screens don’t bother me as they once did. My cars have all large screens and once you set up the heating etc there is little need to touch them when driving. Non issue for the way I use my cars.
I am glad new cars are churning out because the industry feels very stable.
raspy said:
Yes. Young people today have different priorities for cars than young people of the past. I wonder how many people posting on this forum are 17-25?
Virtually zero I would say. That generation don’t use forums and they have died out for lots of older people too with other social media taking over. As I said in my post above I would guess the average age of an active poster here is 60 or maybe even older about 63. Would be interesting if we could get an answer on that from PH but I guess we didn’t give our dob when signing up macron said:
"silicon carbide invertor" and "out of warranty". And imagine if that screen goes pop...
I find myself almost overwhelmed with indifference, having just turned 44 and thus being old. The indifference is only coloured by the mild terror I feel at the prospect of owning something so horrifically expensive to keep roadworthy when it inevitably breaks.If we're pretending to be serious about all this saving the planet stuff, we need prison sentences for car manufacturers who make things which can't be economically repaired at a component level. You do not save the planet through scrapping and manufacturing replacements.
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