Mercedes-Benz CLA250 2014 News

Mercedes-Benz has changed its plans for adding a CLA250 to the local line-up. The German prestige brand had originally confirmed we’d get the two-wheel drive version in March, but has now switched to the all-wheel drive 4MATIC – although there’ll be a few extra months to wait for it.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson, Jerry Stamoulis told Carsguide the opportunity to get the 4MATIC had only recently arisen. “When we announced the CLA pricing back in October last year the 4MATIC wasn’t available to us and so we only had the option of two wheel drive,” Stamoulis said “Recently we were informed that we could take the 4MATIC and due to the cost of only a $1500 increase we decided to go for the 4MATIC.”Mercedes has confirmed that the CLA 250 Sport 4MATIC will be sold in Australia from July, joining with another incoming variant to raise the line-up to four. Currently the CLA range consists of the CLA 200, priced from $49,900, and the tarmac-eating 265kw CLA45 AMG, priced from $86,900.Next month the CLA 200 CDI will land on our shores, packing a frugal 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 100kW of power and 300Nm of torque. Priced from $50,400, the CLA200 CDI can return a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.7 litres per 100km.When it lands here in July, the CLA250 will be priced from $64,900. It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that sends 155kW and 350Nm through Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. The sprint from zero to 100km/h takes 6.6 seconds -- 0.1 seconds quicker than the front-drive CLA 250 variant that was previously planned to enter Aussie showrooms.The CLA-Class’ 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system drives the front wheels alone during normal driving conditions but can send up to 50 per cent of the engine’s power rearwards in more demanding situations. The CLA250 also features electrically operated and heated front leather sports seats, plus AMG body kit and performance ‘enhancements.’Stamoulis told Carsguide he expects the 250 will be the most popular CLA variant when it goes on sale. Given the 12- month wait time for the CLA45 AMG, Stamoulis also believes that some AMG customers will purchase the 250 Sport to use until their 265W weapon arrives. 

The car's coupe design gives it the most efficient aerodynamics on a mainstream production car. Kick off point is the CLA 200 with a 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine. It sips fuel at a combined rate of 5.7L/100km.Next up the ladder is the CLA 250 Sport u with a 2.0-litre, petrol, four cylinder, direct injection, turbocharged engine achieving 155kW/350Nm. This car's appearance is characterised by AMG styling, depicted by the diamond grille, intelligent light system, 18-inch' AMG wheels, sports pedals, AMG tuned suspension and sports steering wheel.Top of the range is the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG with 265kW/450Nm from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine along with performance oriented 4matic all-wheel drive. This model is capable of extremely dynamic performance, clocking a 0-100kmh time in 4.6 seconds. A host of features are standard on the CLA-Class including 18-inch wheels, Becker Map Pilot Navigation, and a reversing camera.The 250 Sport gets heated electric leather sports seats with memory function and AMG styling. The 45 AMG includes AMG driver's package, AMG night package, AMG performance steering wheel, COMAND navigation and a Harmon Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system as standard. The CLA-Class will also arrive with exceptional safety features as standard. 

The luxury carmaker has a big push into the more affordable end of the market. It has announced the A-Class hatch for Australia from 2013 with prices around $30,000 and this week unveils a pre-production four-door sedan version, called Concept Style Coupe by Mercedes but simply dubbed the CLA. But Mercedes Australia says we won't see the new sedan until 2014. Based on the A-Class platform, the CLA is a mini-CLS with a low-roof profile, tapered roofline and long overhangs.  Mercedes plans the CLA to share drivetrains with the A-Class but has dropped a clanger by announcing the possibility of an all-wheel drive version with a 156kW four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.  The head of Mercedes-Benz Cars and chairman of parent company Daimler AG, Dr Dieter Zetsche, says the CLA will become "the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future''.  The CLA has its official world premiere on April 23 at Auto China in Beijing. The show car wears 21-inch wheels with perforated pins on the spokes to follow the diamond-theme of the radiator grille.  It has frameless side windows and no B-pillar. It also has four individual seats with integrated head restraints that are shared with the sports version of the A-Class.