Mercedes-Benz CLA45 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 New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Rumours of a hybrid drivetrain for Mitsubishi’s next-generation Evolution performance flagship are gaining momentum, with a new report by Japanese magazine Holiday Auto suggesting that the next Evo will maintain its traditional turbo petrol and all-wheel drive attributes with green-friendly plug-in hybrid power.According to the report, the Evo will benefit from technology developed for efficiency-focused models like the new plug-in Outlander SUV to improve on the current model’s combined fuel consumption of at least 10.1L/100km, while boosting performance to new levels.Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari have recently proven that the words performance and hybrid are not at all mutually exclusive with their 918 Spyder, P1, and LaFerrari fastest-ever models, and it’s only a matter of time before such tech trickles down to more affordable performance models like the Evo.The Mitsubishi is not the only bang-for bucks champion in line for hybridisation, with Nissan’s next GT-R also set to incorporate some form of efficiency-boosting electrification and Honda has confirmed a similar shift for its upcoming NSX.Holiday Auto suggests that the Evo will use a similar dual electric motor layout to the Outlander PHEV, but will ditch the SUV’s atmo 2.0-litre petrol engine for a smaller 1.1 litre turbo unit similar to that used by the XR and AR concepts shown in Tokyo recently.Mitsubishi is reportedly targeting outputs similar to a 3.0-litre aspirated engine for the Evo-spec 1100cc unit, which suggests something in the vicinity of 170kW, before electric power is factored in.   Such a 155kW/L specific output would mark a significant jump from the 108.6kW/L achieved from the 217kW 2.0-litre turbo unit in the existing Evo X, and exceed even the 133.1kW/L achieved by 265kW 2.0 litre four powering the Mercedes A45 and CLA45 AMG twins.Even with the Outlander PHEV’s dual 60kW electric motors, a circa-170kW petrol engine would have the potential to trounce the current Evo X, but these could be uprated in the pursuit of GT-R rivalling performance reported elsewhere.Also key to a hybrid Evo’s performance potential will be maintaining the Outlander PHEV’s battery system location ahead of the rear axle for the benefit of weight distribution.Other reports have suggested that the next Evolution will require a bespoke platform to deal with its unique packaging and performance demands, suggesting it could lose the Lancer name for the first time in the model’s history.Such a repositioning would mirror Nissan’s GT-R, which was distanced from the Skyline nameplate for the first time when the current R35 model launched in 2007.The next-generation Lancer is set to ride on a platform shared with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, but it is unclear whether this strategy extends to the mooted Evo replacement.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

Clever engineers have squeezed an astonishing 265 kilowatts of power and 450 Nm of torque from a little 2.0-litre engine for the CLA45 AMG. The high-pressure petrol turbocharged engine is the most powerful four-cylinder mass production engine ever made, and is married to a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox muscled up to deliver uber-fast shifts. The all-wheel drive system feeds torque mainly to the front wheels under normal conditions, with the rear ones coming into play in just a tenth of a second when needed. This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott Watch the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG in action here.  

Mercedes-AMG has made its name on sharp-edged performance. And, until recently, that's involved cramming large-displacement engines under the hood. Now, surprisingly — representing a significant turnaround from some years ago — even AMG sees hybrid powertrains in its future. While BMW and Audi have been refocusing their performance efforts toward diesel engines, AMG chairman Ola Källenius told Edmunds that diesels don't deliver the aggressive characteristics of a gasoline engine. According to Källenius, AMG will produce a hybrid model “when the market is ready for it.” V12 engines can be offered for at least another five or six years, he says, but looking ahead we'll see a clear trend toward turbocharging and downsizing. Luckily, the executive points out, some of the development for F1 and production sports-car technology — especially concerning weight and materials — is converging. The new 2014 CLA45 AMG is already leading the performance division down a fresh path. With its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, making 265 kW, pushes the kilowatts-per-litre limits of petrol engines, at present. Supplementing smaller turbocharged engines with electric motor systems could, if properly tuned, provide a compelling powertrain for future performance models. AMG has a rich history of thoroughly re-engineering or reworking engines, transmissions, and every core component for a sharper, more satisfying driving experience, and by the time such models arrive, we fully expect the same here. www.motorauthority.com  

The New York motor show next week won't have as many impressive global debuts as Geneva did, but it will host the debut of one of the most anticipated cars of the year: the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG.The CLA45 AMG offers a more aggressive, aero-treated take on the standard CLA Class exterior, and a more Alcantara-and-carbon-fibered take on the interior. From every angle, inside and out, the photos, posted by Autoblog's Spanish counterpart, show it's a well-executed look.Better yet is the potency packed into this pint-sized four-door coupe. As Mercedes-AMG confirmed to us in Geneva, the CLA45 AMG will pack 265 kW, hit 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, and cost less than $50,000 to start.www.motorauthority.com 

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.