2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA: Affordable Luxury? - Ignition Episode 63
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00:00 This week on Ignition, we're looking at the latest entry from Mercedes-Benz, a transverse
00:08 engine, front-wheel drive sedan priced under $30,000.
00:11 Really?
00:13 Should the three-pointed star go slumming?
00:14 I mean, its last foray into this niche ended badly with the hatchback C-Class Sport Coupe.
00:20 After all, this is kind of Volkswagen territory, isn't it?
00:23 And such exploratory missions into new demographic niches often end in tears.
00:27 Look at Volkswagen's attempt to sell an S-Class competitor.
00:30 You go on Craigslist, you can find Fayettans all day long for under $30,000.
00:33 The new entry is called the CLA-Class.
01:00 It's based on Europe's A-Class hatchback, but in the US, we'll only get this version
01:05 with swoopy four-door coupe bodywork, frameless glass, and so forth.
01:09 And as for the bargain aspect, well, good luck finding one for under $30,000 because
01:13 you add a few choice options like 4MATIC all-wheel drive, panoramic sunroof, automatic self-parking,
01:19 and so forth, and the price quickly balloons to near that of the C-Class, which starts
01:23 at $38,000.
01:24 Now, globally, Mercedes-Benz is a full-line manufacturer, building a car for every person
01:30 purpose.
01:31 But in the US, it's a prestige brand, known for rear-drive dynamics and the kind of engine
01:36 refinement that only comes with a longitudinal engine.
01:40 Doesn't this CLA-Class risk jeopardizing all that?
01:43 Let's hop in and find out.
01:50 Well, you don't have to drive this new CLA-Class very far to realize that this is an entirely
02:03 different idea than that hatchback C-Class was.
02:07 That was kind of a cynical price play.
02:10 Get a low advertised number to get people in the showroom and then talk them into a
02:14 nicer one once they're there.
02:16 This car is all about CO2 regulations in Europe and CAFE in the US.
02:21 This is a gas mileage car.
02:22 They need to sell a lot of these, and so they have to make it nice.
02:26 People have to actually come in wanting this car.
02:29 So every inch of this car is a much nicer, much, every inch of a Mercedes-Benz, whereas
02:37 I think that last one wasn't.
02:40 There's a whole lot of very typical Mercedes-Benz standard equipment on this car.
02:47 In the safety realm, there's a collision warning system.
02:50 You got obviously all the airbags, lane monitoring that buzzes the steering wheel and you cross
02:55 the line without your turn signal, all that kind of stuff.
02:58 And of course, DISTRONIC cruise control is available, panoramic sunroof, and of course
03:03 in spring of 2014, the 4MATIC all-wheel drive will arrive.
03:08 We had a chance to sample that one yesterday, and it felt almost indistinguishable from
03:12 this car.
03:13 I have to say the styling of this car has gotten a lot of looks here in fashion-conscious
03:18 Saint-Tropez, France.
03:21 It's drawing a crowd when we stop.
03:23 I think it's really good looking.
03:24 I've spent a couple days walking around this thing, and I really like it.
03:28 Of course, there is a little bit of a cost.
03:31 My head rubs the ceiling in the back seat, and I'm only 5'11" and kind of short-waisted,
03:37 so it's not going to be a great long-distance car for four adults.
03:42 But you know, really Mercedes-Benz is targeting younger people with this, and young families
03:47 and so forth.
03:48 You know, get them in and then move them up the brand, and I think they're going to have
03:53 some luck with that.
04:05 So I'm driving in an Edition 1 CLA class, which is only going to be 700 of them or so.
04:11 It's got this lovely green stitching throughout, green stripes on the seats, which is very
04:16 cool.
04:17 But the base cars, the regular ones, look really sharp also.
04:20 An MB-TEX vinyl, which looks a lot like leather, is standard.
04:24 Leather will be optional.
04:26 The dash is trimmed with a very convincing aluminum look on the base car.
04:30 This one has actual brushed metal, and wood is also available.
04:34 The design language is very much like all the other Mercedes these days.
04:38 We've got the crosshatch circular vents and so forth.
04:41 The gauges could come right out of one of the other Mercedes.
04:44 Everywhere you look and feel in this car, they're trying to make sure that if you buy
04:49 this car, you're getting exactly the same experience that you are from the ones further
04:53 up the price chain.
05:08 The engine is becoming the new standard around the world.
05:12 A 2-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged four-cylinder.
05:15 This one makes 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
05:20 Of course, hearing that 258 pound-feet of torque are going to the front axle makes you
05:26 worry about torque steer a little bit.
05:28 So far, I haven't felt that at all.
05:31 Now, they do say that they use the electric power steering to counteract torque steer.
05:38 If that's the case, they're doing it pretty well, because I've done wide-open throttle
05:43 wheel turn launches, and the steering wheel has been totally calm in my hand.
05:49 So good job on that one.
05:52 Acceleration-wise, they haven't released any numbers yet, and we don't have our gear over
05:56 here to try it out ourselves, but it certainly seems amply peppy, if you will.
06:01 I would say it's probably in the six- to seven-second range.
06:10 That engine, of course, is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and that thing is
06:15 wonderful.
06:16 It's got a sport mode that I've engaged here, which is very good at guessing what gear you
06:22 should be in for the conditions, holds lower gears as you go through turns, that kind of
06:27 thing.
06:28 Of course, if you don't want to try to entrust all the gear shifting to the computer, there's
06:33 also very nice shifter paddles, which bring instantaneous response.
06:40 And with seven ratios, all pretty evenly spaced, there's always a gear for exactly the conditions
06:47 you find yourself in.
06:48 Even the exhaust note is pretty engaging in this car.
06:54 We're driving a car with the sport suspension.
07:00 At least at the beginning, all cars coming to the U.S. will have the sport suspension.
07:05 A choice of 17- or 18-inch tires, this car's got the big 18s, and the grip levels seem
07:11 pretty decent.
07:12 The steering is typical Mercedes-Benz, not a ton of feel.
07:16 You don't really get a good sense of what's happening at the road through the helm, but
07:21 the ratio is nice.
07:22 It's very linear.
07:23 I don't ever find myself correcting in corners and so forth, so I'm pretty pleased with that.
07:29 [music]
07:47 Well, after spending three days in the new CLA 250, I can assure you this is no C-Class
07:53 sport coupe.
07:54 In fact, it reminds me more of the original Kinder Benz, the 190e.
07:58 Like that car, this one represents a high-stakes investment in Mercedes-Benz's future.
08:04 And with its bold, beautiful, aggressive styling, and the chassis dynamics to back it up, I'm
08:08 willing to bet that this car will pay off as handsomely in the U.S. as the 190 did everywhere
08:13 else.
08:14 In fact, if Volkswagen isn't careful, I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the car
08:19 GTI owners want to graduate into.
08:41 [music]
09:10 [music]