The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a series of luxury subcompact executive cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz since 2013. The first generation was a four-door sedan based on the platform of the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class compact cars, marketed as a four-door coupé.[1] In 2015, Mercedes-Benz expanded the CLA family to include a station wagon configuration which it markets as a Shooting Brake.[2]
The CLA is Mercedes-Benz's first front-wheel drive vehicle offered in the American market. The CLA range is positioned above the A-Class and it is nearly on the level of the C-Class in the Mercedes model range, and models tend to be less practical than the A-Class it is based on.[3]
The CLA first went on sale in Europe in April 2013, and was subsequently introduced in the United States in September 2013.[4] Its largest markets are Western Europe and the United States.[4] Global cumulative CLA sales reached 100,000 during its first year,[4] cited as "our best launch in 20 years" by Mercedes-Benz.[5] Worldwide, Mercedes-Benz sold about 750,000 units of the first generation.[6]
First generation (C117; 2013)
Development and launch
The design of the C117 CLA[7] is based on the Concept Style Coupe concept unveiled by Mercedes-Benz at the 2012 Avant/Garde Diaries event in Los Angeles,[8] followed by the 2012 Auto China,[9] and Huashan 1914 Creative Park.[10] It is a four-door fastback coupe, based on the platform of the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class compact cars. The production version C117 CLA was publicly unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show,[11] with sales commencing in September 2013.[12]
Second generation (C118; 2019)
The second generation CLA was unveiled at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in January 2019. Based on the same Modular Front Architecture (MFA2) platform as the W177 A-Class, W247 B-Class, X247 GLB and H247 GLA the C118 CLA retains the fastback styling to set it apart from the V177 A-Class Sedan and shares its powertrains with the A-Class.[44] Stylistically, the design is inspired by the new design language Mercedes-Benz adopted for the C257 CLS.[45]
The C118 has an almost completely flat underbody, resulting in a drag coefficient of 0.23. It uses MacPherson front struts combined with either a twist beam or multi-link at the rear, and the option of adaptive dampers. Compared to its predecessor, the C118 is 48 mm longer, 53 mm wider and loses 2 mm in height, while its wheelbase has been extended by 30 mm.[46]
Third generation (C178/174; 2025)
The third-generation CLA, officially marketed as CLA with EQ Technology, was unveiled on 13 March 2025, firstly as a sedan.[61] The CLA is the first model to be based on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform.[62]
For the first time for Mercedes, the combustion-engine and battery electric models of the CLA feature identical designs for the exterior and interior, as well as sharing a model name. This marks the end to Mercedes’ strategy of entirely bespoke battery electric models being developed to sit alongside their combustion-engine equivalents, such as with the E-Class and EQE.[63]
The battery models come with an 800-volt electrical architecture and advanced drive units with a two-speed transmission on the main drive at the rear axle. It can recharge up to 325 km of range in just 10 minutes and fast DC charging up to 320 kW.[64]
Marketing
As part of the first generation CLA US product launch, a television commercial featuring Kate Upton was produced for, and premiered during the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLVII.[70][71] Additional commercials titled 'Dishes', 'Jukebox', 'Sundae' were premiered during Super Bowl XLVII.[72] A TV commercial titled 'Soul', featuring a devil played by Willem Dafoe was also premiered during Super Bowl XLVII.[73][74]
In a promotional campaign under the slogan "Untamed. The new CLA", a TV commercial titled 'Wolf' asks how it is possible to stand out from the crowd, when so many others are also striving for individuality – the answer is provided by the new CLA. The commercial was premiered until mid-March 2013 on all major German TV channels. The print materials show the 'style rebel' from a range of perspectives, which had appeared until mid-April 2013 in high-circulation news and business magazines, specialist motoring publications and special interest media under headings such as "Form: non-conformist" or "Untamed".
Reception
The CLA has been a controversial vehicle among Mercedes-Benz fans in North America due to its many differences from other Mercedes-Benz models.[77] In contrast to most Mercedes models sold in the U.S., the CLA is small, based on a front-wheel drive platform, and powered exclusively by four-cylinder engines.[78] Labeled by Mercedes-Benz as a new "gateway" into the Mercedes-Benz brand with sales "beyond our optimistic expectations",[79][80] Consumer Reports rated the CLA as "140% worse than the average car" in the 2014 Annual Auto Reliability Survey.[81]
Despite the criticism, the CLA received praise worldwide from professional reviewers. The price, which starts from $30,000, has been the highlight for many reviewers.[82]
External links
References
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Spy Photos News – Car & Driver (Retrieved 2012-09-23)^
- Wraps come off new Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Auto Express^
- Liz Kim. 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA Preview J.D. Power, 2019-01-08