Mercedes-Benz CLA200 vs Suzuki Jimny

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 is sleek, well-equipped, and beautifully engineered. That said, it’s pricey. You can get a car that’s 80 percent as good for 50 per cent of the price. But getting that extra 20 percent in terms of refinement, dynamic ability and design sophistication is what you’re paying for. If you’ve got the extra dough, top dollar buys you a spot on the top shelf.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

If you currently own a three-door Jimny and expect the XL to provide you with much beyond a more spacious second row (or luggage compartment overall), it might be best to hold on to what you’ve got.

And if you don’t own a Jimny and want one, there’s not much I reckon I’d be able to say to stop you if the resolve of anyone I know who’s ended up buying one is anything to go by.

If you’re a ‘get out on the weekend’ kind of person but you live a city Monday-to-Friday, it’s hard to look past the Jimny for simplicity, fun, and a competitive price.

Not to mention, of course, that it is also just so bloody cute.

While the way a car looks is a subjective call, and as always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments below, I’m putting it out there… this is a beautiful machine. And Gordon Wagener’s not pulling any punches, either. He thinks it has the potential to become, “a modern design icon.”

The long bonnet, cab-rear, wide-track proportions sit within a slightly larger footprint. The new CLA is marginally longer, wider, lower overall, and has a lengthier wheelbase than the model it replaces. And the car’s intricate mix of gently curved surfaces and hard lines is expertly managed, with a standard AMG body kit, complete with 18-inch rims, adding just a hint of macho intent.

The angle of the shoulder runs from this character line, virtually unchanged up to the roof, and the inward slope of the side glass (car designers call it tumblehome) is quite pronounced. And the sweeping curve at the top of the front guards is defined by hard strakes on the outer edges of the bonnet.

The rear view is arguably the CLA’s most appealing angle with the intersection of the sloping turret, boot, and rear guards neatly resolved.

It’s super slick aerodynamically, as well, boasting a Cd of 0.23, running a close second to it’s A-Class sedan sibling (0.22) which Merc claims as the world’s most aero-efficient series production four-door.

But what about the inside? Well, the biggest visual feature is the customisable MBUX media and data interface, expressed dramatically through a pair of 10.25-inch widescreens.

The info available and number of configurations offered is mind-blowing. It’s very 2019 and spot-on target for the digital generation.

Piano black surfaces around the dash and console lift the tone (but pick up the fingerprints) while the signature turbine-style vents add another flash of visual interest without compromising function.

Other highlights include front seats with racy one-piece backs (reflected on the top of the outer rear seats, as well), frameless doors enhancing the coupe feel, and neatly detailed stitching around the dash and doors.

There will be no prizes for a ‘spot the difference’ between the Jimny and the Jimny XL. 

You may have spotted the extra doors (and the subsequent longer body, 3965mm over 3645mm, a 320mm increase according to the spec sheet), but did you spot the chrome accents in the Jimny’s grille? 

That’s right, it’s not just the doors… it’s the doors and the grille.

Of course, some more changes naturally follow the new body style - it’s rear-most side windows are now much narrower, though the second-row windows do a lot to prevent losing any visibility, and the longer side silhouette looks a little more ‘grown up’.

Even then, the Jimny XL is shorter than a five-door Mini hatch by 58mm, and only 50mm longer than a Mazda MX-5.

The Jimny’s body elements still remain the same though, down to the 15-inch alloy wheels, plus the spare on the back. It’s also shares its 1725mm height and 1645mm width with the three-door, although its wheelbase is now 2590mm instead of 2250mm.

Inside, the rugged nature of the 4WD blends with a little bit of youthful modern design. The steering wheel is borrowed from other Suzuki models like the Swift, and the big dial housing has a fun retro vibe.

Despite a two mm drop in overall height, the CLA’s front headroom has been extended by 17mm, and there’s lots of room up front, with storage running to two cupholders in the centre console, a lidded bin/armrest between the seats (including twin USB ports), an overhead sunglass holder, decent door pockets with room for bottles and a medium-size glove box.

There’s also a mat for wireless device charging at the front of the centre console, complete with another USB input (just in case).

But what does that sexy, sloping roofline do for space in the rear?

Sitting behind the driver's seat set to my (183cm) position, there’s adequate legroom, but despite Merc claiming an extra 3.0mm of headroom, my noggin made firm contact with the headliner.

It’s worth remembering this is a coupe-style four-door, with the packaging compromises a swoopy roof brings. You could call it a ‘2+3’, with a couple of doors added to make access to the back seats easier.

A centre fold-down armrest incorporates two cupholders, again there are generous pockets in the doors with room for bottles, map pockets on the front seatbacks, and adjustable ventilation outlets set into the back of the front centre console are a welcome inclusion.

There are three belted positions across the rear, but the adults using them for anything other than short journeys will have to be good friends and flexible. Kids will be fine.

Boot volume is a healthy 460 litres (VDA), which is down 10 litres on the first-gen car, but the aperture has been widened by no less than 262mm, and a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat opens up extra space. There are tie-down hooks, a 12-volt outlet and elasticised storage pockets either side of the load space to further enhance useability, plus a cargo net is included.

No news on towing capacity at this stage, and don’t bother looking for a spare, the tyres are run flats.

If practicality to you means plenty of spaces to put things or a lot of little additional features, you’re going to be disappointed by the Jimny XL’s cabin. But if you see it more as a ‘could be hosed out if something goes horribly wrong’ type of thing, then I have good news for you.

Okay, don’t hose out your Jimny, but the hard-wearing basic materials are clearly here to accommodate mess. We’re talkin’ plastic, we’re talkin’ cloth, we’re talkin’... plastic. Yep, not much in the way of soft-touch or supple armrests, but you wouldn’t want to accidentally tear a leather seat with a tent peg, would you?

In terms of actual ergonomics and user-friendliness, the Jimny scores pretty well once you’re across some of the slightly odd elements.

Its front window controls are below the climate controls, rather than with the rear window controls, for example, which I assume is due to the second-row windows not being part of the original design. 

There’s also not a huge amount of storage space, front or rear, for anything other than small items or the usual drink bottles.

Fortunately, the big change for the XL is noticeable. Being able to get in and out of the second row is now easier thanks to, you guessed it, doors! 

And once you’re in there, even if you’re an adult, you’ll find yourself in a space that you could probably survive a road trip in, even if loading up a tiny ladder-frame SUV with more than two people for a long drive should at least attract some kind of fine or other minor punishment. You literally couldn’t have five people in the Jimny, though, as it’s only a four-seater.

If you needed a reminder of how tiny the Jimny is even in XL form, the luggage space is listed as 332 litres, which is less than a Hyundai i30 hatchback by 63 litres.

Oh, and that’s with the seats down. Up? You get 211L of luggage space, which is about as much as a Mini Hatch.

What features does it come with, you ask? Not many - but that’s kind of the point in a mid-$30K off-roader, isn’t it?

While you can pick up a Jimny XL from $34,990 before on-road costs with a five-speed automatic, our four-speed auto here on test starts from $36,490. 

The list of accessories and parts Suzuki offers for the Jimny is extensive and allows you to essentially build your perfect little weekend getaway ride, but here I’ll focus on the standard gear rather than listing every type of cargo rack or body protection you can add-on.

The Jimny XL comes with a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, up from the three-door’s 7.0-inch unit, which also adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It has a four-speaker sound system up from two in the standard Jimny, and it’s also the only Jimny that gets adaptive cruise control.

Just about everything else is standard Jimny fare - it’s got LED headlights, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera that does the job but isn’t crystal clear, a USB port and 12V outlets in the centre console and in the rear luggage compartment, plus physical dials and a digital display for the driver.

The CLA 200 is powered by Merc’s 1.3-litre (M 282), direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission (with paddle shifters on the wheel).

It’s the product of a joint development with Renault, and outputs are 120kW at 5500rpm and 250Nm at 1620rpm, which is pretty impressive for such a small capacity unit.

The single turbo features an electronically controlled wastegate and flexible charge pressure control to optimise boost across the entire rev range (rev ceiling is 6300rpm), with an equal focus on power, step-off throttle response and fuel efficiency.

The Jimny XL uses the same 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine as the original.

It only makes 75kW and 130Nm, and even though the Jimny is a relatively light SUV (actually, relatively light for a car in general), it still doesn’t quite feel like enough for hauling around 1200kg of 4X4 plus a person or two.

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.7L/100km, the CLA emitting 130g/km of CO2 in the process.

At just over 1.4 tonnes it’s fairly hefty for its size, but at partial load between 1250-3800rpm two of the engine’s four cylinders shut down to improve economy. ‘ECO’ mode dampens performance in the name of improved economy, plus stop-start is standard.

And over roughly 200km of freeway, city and suburban running we saw an average of 7.5L/100km courtesy of the on-board read-out.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 43 litres of it to fill the tank, which at our real-world average delivers a range of approximately 575km.

Suzuki claims the Jimny XL, with the four-speed automatic transmission as tested, should consume 6.9L/100km on the combined cycle - the manual uses a claimed 6.4L, both figures are the same as the three-door equivalents.

On test, with primarily inner-urban and city commute driving, I saw the XL use 9.4L/100km. Anyone frequenting stop-start traffic can expect similarly high figures and, even though many owners will see lower figures, achieving the claimed 6.9L would be a solid effort even on long highway drives.

So, despite the engine’s small capacity the addition of a turbo means peak torque (250Nm) arrives at just 1620rpm. Power delivery is linear and mid-range acceleration is healthy. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration is 8.2sec, which is neither sluggish nor particularly fast, but performance is more than adequate around town and on the highway.

The seven-speed dual-clutch auto shifts smoothly, but not particularly rapidly, although a switch to manual mode and use of the wheel-mounted paddles means you can be more selective about which ratio you’re in and for how long.

Standard suspension set-up is strut front, multi-link rear, with many of the components made from aluminium to reduce unsprung weight, and the CLA feels nimble through twisting backroad bends.

Our test car was optioned with the AMG Exclusive Package, which includes adaptive dampers. And no surprise ‘Sport’ mode is severe, and the fillings in your teeth (unless you’re one of those strange people that don’t have any) will be in danger of rattling loose over anything other than a billiard table smooth surface.

By contrast, ‘Comfort’ lives up to its name with a supremely compliant ride without any sacrifice in terms of balance and (taut) body control. The standard 18-inch rims, shod with 225/45 rubber, don’t put a disenable dent in proceedings, either.

The electro-mechanical steering points accurately and delivers a good connection with what’s happening at the front wheels. Assistance is subtle.

Brakes are vented discs up front, with solid rotors at the rear. Purely in the interests of a full and well-rounded review we enthusiastically pushed through some lengthy B-road sections, and the pedal remained firm and consistent.

In short the CLA is a refined city coupe that doubles as a comfortable touring car.

The Jimny might be a little bit more work than you’re used to if you’re swapping out of a hatchback or small city SUV.

That’s not meant to sound like a scathing criticism, either, because despite its cutesy appearances and (whether intended or not) appeal to young inner-city types, the Jimny is a ladder-frame chassis off-roader. And it drives like one.

During my time with the Jimny XL, each Instagram story I posted would garner at least a couple of responses in the vein of ‘What’s it like?’ or ‘Should I buy one?’ from people in their late 20s and 30s who I’m 70 per cent sure wouldn’t care much for off-roading.

Most of my responses were probably disappointing to them, because it drives like a small 4X4 and if you’re going to get annoyed by steering corrections, vibrations and noise, it might not be for you. 

But if the little Zuki’s off-road ability (or even just its irresistibly endearing looks) are appealing enough to you, the Suzuki is a fairly easy steer once it becomes second nature. In fact, its engaging nature is part of what makes the Jimny fun to drive. 

Reacting to strong winds or changing road surfaces should be familiar to those who grew up driving older, more rudimentary cars, and even though there’s a fairly noticeable ‘dead’ spot in the centre of the Jimny’s steering, it means you’re able to more subtly adjust (quite regularly, you may find) the steering wheel to keep aligned in your lane.

The suspension can feel a little soft and ‘jostly’ - lean to the side while you’re stopped at an intersection and you’ll feel the Jimny lean too - it’s also a decent reason to be a little cautious with your speed around corners. The Jimny will let you know if you’re going too quickly.

Sure, the longer wheelbase of the XL should help with stability over the three-door, but the nature of the Jimny doesn’t exactly encourage you to find out how much more stable exactly. But it’s fortunately not so much bigger that it sacrifices its advantage over most other off-roaders.

Its ability to get around inner-city areas in the Jimny is a plus if you live urban but need something that can head off-road on weekends - the XL is still relatively small compared to anything else that’s intended for the trails. It feels perfectly comfortable in Melbourne’s laneways and underground car parks in the CBD… as long as you’re okay with how heavy the steering can feel at low speeds.

For trips out of the city where you’ll be getting the Jimny’s tyres a bit dirty (hopefully, it’s what it was built for), just know that the Jimny doesn’t feel its best at highway speed. Its 75kW is pushed to its limit, 130Nm doesn’t inspire great overtaking confidence, its steering and suspension don’t feel massively dialled-in, and the four-speed automatic transmission has a whine to it that’ll bring back memories of watching the V8 Supercars cut laps in 2002.

But like I said, if you’re not looking for a car that’ll use sensors to sit you in the dead-centre of your lane while a leather seat massages your back, the Jimny’s simple nature is endearing, and most of the time quite fun.

As a side note, CarsGuide’s off-road expert Marcus Craft has published an in-depth off-road test of the Jimny XL, and gave it a thumbs up as a capable vehicle for tricky trails - it’s worth reading or watching if you’re considering the Jimny as an adventure companion.

While the Jimny’s safety features are fairly rudimentary and the XL hasn’t been specifically tested, there are some good points to the Jimny that might help potential owners decide if it’s the right decision for them.

First, the standard three-door Jimny was crash tested in 2019 and scored three stars, primarily due to its lack of active safety features.

That lack of safety features remains for the Jimny XL, requiring drivers to be alert and react to hazards of their own volition, but if the XL’s occupant protection is anything like the three-door version (which scored 73 per cent for adult occupant protection and 84 per cent for children), it should do a decent job of keeping passengers safe in most nasty situations.

The XL comes with front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, electronic braking assist, stability control, traction control, hill hold and descent control, AEB, lane departure warning, weaving alert and rear parking sensors.

It’s missing some active gear like lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring or driver monitoring.

The Mercedes-Benz range is covered by a three year/unlimited km warranty, which, like Audi and BMW continues to lag behind the mainstream market where the majority of players are now at five years/unlimited km, with some at seven years.

On the upside, Mercedes-Benz ‘Road Care’ roadside assistance is included in the deal for three years.

Service is scheduled for 12 months/25,000km (whichever comes first) with pricing available on an 'Up-front' or 'Pay-as-you-go' basis.

For the CLA, pre-payment delivers a $500 saving, with the first three services set at a total of $2050, compared to $2550 PAYG. Fourth and fifth services are also available for pre-purchase.

The Jimny XL’s covered by Suzuki’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The services range from costing $349 to $589, but average out at $453 per service. You’ll spend $2265 servicing your Jimny XL over its first five years, assuming you do it by the books (as they’re currently written).