Wednesday 16th March 2016

Mercedes CLA facelift for New York show

CLA follows A with a lightly updated appearance and more power for the 45 AMG

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It seems barely a day goes by without a new Mercedes at the moment, the range expanding at a frightening rate. If there's a niche that needs filling (or a rival has already done it), then Mercedes will soon be there.

Given the amount of flics this must be the Aero Pack

Today it's the turn of the CLA, the mini-CLS if you're feeling generous or the A-Class saloon if you're not. Following the A-Class facelift earlier this year, the CLA is now getting the new bumpers, black radiator grille and wheels.

That really is the extent of the visual changes too. Well, unless you count the new canvansite blue paint option. Inside that ever controversial freestanding screen is "much slimmer looking", the dials are refreshed and there are new trim possibilities including matt black ash wood. Don't forget the new LED lights as an option too...

Alright, so it's not the most thrilling facelift, but both the CLA45 Coupe and Shooting Brake have been tweaked as well. Rather more interesting. Like the A-Class hatch, power is up from 360hp to 381hp and the 0-62 time is down to 4.2 seconds, or 4.3 for the Shooting Brake. The front limited-slip diff is carried over as an option too, as are shorter gear ratios for the dual-clutch gearbox.

Marking out the new 45 AMG cars are a new spoiler on the coupe, a different front splitter with aero flics and a "diffuser insert". Mercedes claims the aerodynamics have been further improved and the drag co-efficient reduced, but without providing any numbers. Should that be insufficient, there is an optional AMG Aerodynamics pack with even more flics, a rear spoiler lip, a larger front splitter and "spoiler lips over the simulated air outlets on either side at the back." Mmm...

381hp means 62mph in 4.2 seconds (!)

Elsewhere in the range there is a new 89g/km CLA 180d Blue Efficiency Edition, a hands free boot option plus, of course, yet more options to connect your tech with the car. There is no mention of additional active safety tech for the CLA, but only because both models "already previously included the latest generation of assistance and safety systems".

The facelifted CLA and CLA Shooting Brake will be shown at this month's New York show. Orders will be open from next month, with deliveries due in July. But with the facelift being so light, surely now's the time to pounce on a used model? There are 45 AMGs now available from £35,000...

[HammyHamster]

Please...... make a CLA63 AMG

[Atmospheric]

With the facelift, the V6TT option would have been good.

[ben5575]

Just bought a CLA shooting brake following the realisation that I don't actually need an e class to put a cocker spaniel in. Looked at A5, A7, c, e class and ended up with this in 250 4matic guise with amg exhaust. Sounds fantastic, looks different from everything else (marmite I know), great little car if you put aside the ridiculous snobbery that sadly oozes from this article.

[wotnot]

As a long time fan and now owner of a CLS I never really 'got' the CLA.
Having said that I know a lot of people who love them and there's no arguing with those performance figures. Bloody thing's quicker than mine...

[romeogolf]

It's a gorgeous looking car from the outside, but the interior options are black, black or black with red stripes.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Looks ok in the pictures but IRL this car, especially the shooting brake style, just looks too small to have such design details foist upon it. It all just looks crammed in, not enough space for all the fancy lines and flicks they wanted to put on there. And the front is far to bulbous.

[GTEYE]

Looking at some of the comments above, maybe its just me, but to my eyes the CLA saloon is one of the worst proportioned cars ever made, right up there with the Ssangyong Rodius.

I get that they've downscaled the CLS (which looks good), but the CLA just looks stunted and wrong from every single angle, a complete mess.

But looking at the numbers of the road, perhaps it is just me!

[MikeGoodwin]

I wonder if they fixed the st gearbox yet? Ruins the car thanks to its hesitant downshifts and also the rev limiter in 1st and 2nd. But TBF anyone that tests one and loves it isnt a real petrolhead anyway

Complete st from AMG I expected a lot better.

[Fetchez la vache]

GTEYE said:

Looking at some of the comments above, maybe its just me, but to my eyes the CLA saloon is one of the worst proportioned cars ever made, right up there with the Ssangyong Rodius.

I get that they've downscaled the CLS (which looks good), but the CLA just looks stunted and wrong from every single angle, a complete mess.

But looking at the numbers of the road, perhaps it is just me!

No, it's not just you. I quite like the estate, but the saloon in my eyes is an ill-proportioned eyesore, and this update does nothing to resolve it.

[wotnot]

Fetchez la vache said:

GTEYE said:

Looking at some of the comments above, maybe its just me, but to my eyes the CLA saloon is one of the worst proportioned cars ever made, right up there with the Ssangyong Rodius.

I get that they've downscaled the CLS (which looks good), but the CLA just looks stunted and wrong from every single angle, a complete mess.

But looking at the numbers of the road, perhaps it is just me!

No, it's not just you. I quite like the estate, but the saloon in my eyes is an ill-proportioned eyesore, and this update does nothing to resolve it.

I agree. If it was a proper scaled down Mini Me version of a CLS it might look better but, in the process of scaling it down, they seem to have completely cocked up the proportions.

[ben5575]

MikeGoodwin said:

...But TBF anyone that tests one and loves it isnt a real petrolhead anyway...

I'll be leaving then

TBF, the gearbox is st though.

[moffat]

Have they still got the same horrific ride quality?

My wife had an A220 CDI and the engine was terrible (sounded worse than a London black cab), the ride was the worst in any road car I've been in and the interior was cheap.

I think the CLA is pretty odd looking too and the CLA45 specced comes to £50k which is pretty laughable.

I don't like it ;-)

[gumsie]

ben5575 said:

Just bought a CLA shooting brake following the realisation that I don't actually need an e class to put a cocker spaniel in. Looked at A5, A7, c, e class and ended up with this in 250 4matic guise with amg exhaust. Sounds fantastic, looks different from everything else (marmite I know), great little car if you put aside the ridiculous snobbery that sadly oozes from this article.

Congrats on your purchase. I will take issue with the ‘sounds fantastic' bit though. No such thing as an inline 4 that sounds anything but rubbish IMHO.

[Leggy]

wotnot said:

Fetchez la vache said:

GTEYE said:

Looking at some of the comments above, maybe its just me, but to my eyes the CLA saloon is one of the worst proportioned cars ever made, right up there with the Ssangyong Rodius.

I get that they've downscaled the CLS (which looks good), but the CLA just looks stunted and wrong from every single angle, a complete mess.

But looking at the numbers of the road, perhaps it is just me!

No, it's not just you. I quite like the estate, but the saloon in my eyes is an ill-proportioned eyesore, and this update does nothing to resolve it.

I agree. If it was a proper scaled down Mini Me version of a CLS it might look better but, in the process of scaling it down, they seem to have completely cocked up the proportions.

+1. Looks like one of those bad Chinese clones. Look even worse in the metal.