Mercedes-Benz is headed downmarket—all the way down to front-drive town, population: Perceptions of Cheapness. Rather than partition its lineup with separate brands for pushers and pullers, Mercedes is just going to make sure that nobody cares which end propels its new smallest-ever U.S. offering by making it beautiful. That’s why the CLA250 debuting at the Detroit auto show—or, rather, an event nearby—looks like a fetalCLS-class.
Just like naturally occurring babies, the CLA packs styling cues from its parents into compact proportions. The signature swoopy roofline and frameless windows remain, but the CLA’s 182.3-inch overall length is more than foot shorter than that of the CLS. A wheelbase of 106.3 inches is nearly two inches longer than the recently embiggened VW Jetta’s. That will give back-seat passengers room to slouch, making the most of the over-taxed headroom. The metal is little changed from the Concept Style Coupe that presaged this production car, although it does more than connect CLA to its genetic contributors. Mercedes-Benz says this car’s drag coefficient of just 0.23 is not only the best in its lineup, but a new low for the entire industry. Given the wide range of methods for measuring Cd, comparisons between automakers are often inaccurate; suffice it to say that the CLA is a slippery dart. Stationary efficiency will be aided by a standard engine stop-start system.
Fuel economy will not be the CLA’s sole mission, though. Driving the front wheels—or all four through an optional 4MATIC all-wheel-drive setup—is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct injection and a turbocharger; it squeezes out 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Add in a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (the only available transmission), and neither front- nor all-wheel-drive CLAs are likely to have much to apologize for in straight-line pursuits.
Based on our experience with a European-market A-class, we expect that the CLA will entertain on squirmy roads, too. For additional certainty, a CLA45 AMG will follow a few months after the 250 appears, packing 353 hp and 332 lb-ft. Along with the B-class, Benz’s compact litter also will include a micro-ute and possibly even a convertible, the latter two of which are expected to make it to the American market. All ride on a strut-front, multi-link rear suspension and use an electric motor to point the front wheels. In addition, the electric power steering allows for automated countersteering (we’ll handle that ourselves, thank you very much) and torque-steer compensation. The 2.0-liter’s 258 lb-ft should keep the latter program running whenever the car is.
Options include a panoramic moonroof, wood or aluminum interior trim, and a Sport package that brings body add-ons, 18-inch wheels, and vented front brake discs. A Premium bundle can be fitted for heated seats, a fancier stereo with iPod interface, dual-zone climate control, satellite radio, and other luxury stuff a Mercedes-Benz should have. A larger infotainment screen, navigation, a rearview camera, and hard-drive music storage are included in a Multimedia package.
A number of available technologies help the driver brake, stay in his lane, not fall asleep, integrate your smartphone, and even park. Called “Parktronic with Advance Parking Assist,” the last of those will just go ahead and take responsibility for jostling into crowded lots and along busy streets entirely away from the driver. Not even available on all of Mercedes’ larger cars yet, the system’s presence here is perhaps a statement of (low) faith in the CLA’s younger target customer. Perhaps not.
We’ll be putting the automatic parking system to the test (hey, these things are getting really good, and we’re getting really lazy) later this year, along with the rest of the car. The CLA is set to appear in U.S. showrooms in the fall of 2013. It’s still a big secret that pricing will start in the low- to mid-$30s, or less than half of what a full-grown CLA—the
0 comments:
Post a Comment