Mercedes-Benz CLA200 vs Maserati Grecale

What's the difference?

Mercedes-Benz’s Gordon Wagener is a car design rock star. He’s the guy that shapes the three-pointed star’s design strategy and a decade ago introduced the concept of ‘sensual purity’ as a key driver of the way the brand’s cars should look and feel. And this is the latest expression of that thought, the second-generation (C118) CLA four-door Coupe.

Wagener’s influence is critical here because the CLA is one of the most fashion-focused offerings in the ever-broadening Mercedes-Benz range.

But does the drive match the creative style? We got behind the wheel of the first model to arrive, the entry-level CLA 200, to find out.

There's something about Italy and four-wheeled transport. Even the most functional vehicles developed there somehow morph into high-performance hot rods.

For example, as the SUV phenomenon has swept the world Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati have more than matched the German big three and others in elevating the humble family truckster to supercar status.

And the Grecale Trofeo is the latest example of Maserati's inability to let an SUV be simply practical. It's a mad twin-turbo V6 all-wheel-drive version of the more typically four-cylinder-powered mid-size SUV.

We spent a week with this ferocious beast to see how much spice it can add to family life.