Volkswagen Multivan vs Mercedes-Benz CLA200

What's the difference?

The Australian launch of the new generation Multivan was confined to the Life grade with the 2.0-litre diesel engine. Later in 2025 the Style grade will arrive bringing a hybrid powertrain and even more features. We’ll be able to test both more thoroughly once we have them in the CarsGuide garage.

From this first drive, however, it's clear that while slightly pricier than its Kia Carnival rival the new generation Multivan is more practical than ever, and now that it rides on a car platform, far better to drive.

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

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.

As with all Volkswagens the redesign of the new-gen Multivan is more about refining than redefining. Just like the Golf hatch which has kept its look through eight generations the Multivan is recognisable and familiar but new and modern looking, too.

Smoother lines, a more heavily raked windscreen and a flatter bonnet make for a cuter snub nose. The new Multivan is less boxy than before even though it is still a box on wheels, just a sleeker, more adorable one. 

As mentioned, the Multivan comes in two lengths: the short wheelbase, which is 4973mm from the front bumper to the rear bumper, and the long wheelbase which is 5173mm long. Height for both is 1900mm.

Inside, the cabin is modern with large screens for media and driver instruments with a minimalist design to the dash, while the lack of a centre console frees up space. The sense of roominess is enhanced by daylight flooding in through oversized windows which can be taken a step further when combined with the optional panoramic (split panel) glass roof. 

There are nine body colours to pick from including 'Candy White', 'Pure Grey', 'Reflex Silver Metallic', 'Copper Bronze Metallic', 'Deep Black Pearlescent', 'Energetic Orange Metallic', 'Medium Blue Metallic', 'Mono Silver Metallic' and 'Starlight Blue Metallic'.

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.

Practicality is the Multivan's greatest strength. Seven seats come standard and the rear five can be configured into numerous variations. If you like you could have those rear seats facing each other or you can just have a second row with a large boot area or you could have two in the middle row and two in the third row or whatever other variation you can think up. Yes, you can remove all five rear seats and now that they're 25 per cent lighter it’s easier to do so.

People space is excellent and at 189cm tall I found it possible to not only sit comfortably in the second row behind my driving position, but also behind that in the third row with plenty of leg and headroom.  

An optional multi-functional table is also available and this can slide on rails from the third row all the way up to between the driver and front passenger.

Second row cabin storage is outstanding. You’ll find drawers under the seats big enough for a pair of shoes, hidey holes and cupholders everywhere, seat-back tray tables and gigantic door pockets.

Up front is a double glove box, a dash-top storage bin, more cupholders as well as a multitude of pockets and small storage holes for bits and pieces.

For devices there’s a wireless phone charger and four USB ports.

You’ll also find three-zone climate control with air vents throughout the cabin and dark-tinted glass for the side windows. 

Finally, the power sliding rear side doors are huge and allow easy entry and exit to and from both rear rows.

Being able to leave the driver or front passenger’s seat and walk through to the second row is also handy and fun. Not while driving, of course, although it’s tempting.

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.

In Australia the CLA 200 weighs in at $59,500, before on-road costs, which is plenty, but the all-wheel drive CLA 250 ($68,800) will join it early in 2020, so the range will line up against the likes of BMW’s 4 Series Gran Coupe, even the Audi A5 Sportback.

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 ($83,400) arrives before the of 2019, with the full-fat CLA 45 S scheduled for Q1 2020 (estimated circa $95,000).

For that $60K price tag the CLA 200’s standard features list includes, dual-zone climate control air, sports seats, ambient (interior) lighting, ‘Artico’ and ‘Dinamica’ trim (faux leather and suede, respectively), the twin 10.25-inch digital media and instrument screens (running the ‘MBUX’ interface), an AMG styling pack (including 18-inch alloy wheels), active cruise control, auto headlights, keyless entry and start, LED headlights, DRLs and tail-lights, a leather multi-function, flat-bottom sports steering wheel, sat nav, park assist (including a reversing camera), rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice control, and nine-speaker audio including digital radio as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

All CLAs can also be hooked up (via a smartphone app) to the ‘Mercedes me Connect’ remote connectivity system, allowing access to locking/unlocking the doors, tracking and locating the vehicle, retrieving maintenance and service information, and more.

For the record, our test example was loaded with five option packages, adding no less than $13,630 to the price tag for a total of $73,130. Specifically, the ‘AMG Exclusive Package’ ($3190) – Heated and cooled front seats, ‘Lugano’ two-tone leather upholstery (with contrast top-stitching), adaptive damping, and ‘Energising Comfort Control’, the ‘Communications Package’ ($2490) - Head-up display and  Burmester 590W, 12-speaker ‘surround sound’ audio, ‘Driver Assistance Package’ ($1790) – ‘Active Distance Assist’ (including ‘Cross-Traffic Assist’), ‘Driving Assistance package Plus’, ‘Lane Change Assist’, ‘Extended automatic Re-start’ (in traffic), and ‘Route Based Speed Adaptation’, and ‘Seat Comfort Package’ ($1290) - Electrically adjustable front seats, memory function for driver’s seat, exterior mirrors and head-up display (if fitted), heated front seats, and passenger mirror with reverse parking position, and ‘Vision Package’ ($2490) – ‘Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS’, ‘Multibeam’ LED headlights, panoramic electric sunroof, ‘Parking package HIGH’ (featuring 360-degree camera).

At the moment there’s just the one grade of Multivan, the Life, and it's powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel making 110kW and 360Nm. Transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic which sends drive to the front wheels.

Coming later in 2025 will be a petrol-electric variant but it will only be available in a more premium Style grade.

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.

Volkswagen says that after a combination of open and urban roads the Multivan Life should use 6.4L/100km. While on the launch the trip computer was recording an average of about 8.5L/100km, but we’ll assess fuel efficiency again when this VW comes into the CarsGuide road test garage. 

In theory, if you do use 6.4L/100km, the Multivan's 80-litre tank should give you 1250km of range.

The score for efficiency looks quite low here and that's because without having driven the Style grade and the hybrid powertrain all we have to go by currently is the diesel.

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.

The missing piece of the Multivan puzzle for me has been the way it drives. Past versions have been less 'car-like' than rivals like the Kia Carnival. It felt like a commercial van to drive, because essentially it was. But that's been fixed.

One of the biggest changes to this new-generation Multivan is the platform on which it's built. Volkswagen has decided to swap the truck-like platform from the past for the 'MQB' platform which underpins vehicles such as the Golf and Tiguan. 

Having spent a few hours driving this new generation Multivan around some great country roads during the launch I can testify that not only is the ride comfortable and composed but this van handles way better than you might imagine.

While the Multivan is in no way a sports car, good handling adds to the fun factor. It's easy to drive with light, accurate and direct steering, good acceleration and smooth gear changes from the transmission, great pedal feel under your feet and superb visibility from the high seating position and oversized windows all around.

That said, I enjoyed driving the previous generation Multivan. I loved its fun and easy piloting factor and the change in platform for this new-gen model makes the experience even more pleasurable.

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.

It’s hard to fault Mercedes-Benz when it comes to safety, and the new CLA is loaded with standard active and passive tech.

Active safety tech includes ABS, BA, EBD, stability and traction controls, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), 'Active Brake Assist' (Merc-speak for AEB), 'Adaptive Brake', 'Attention Assist', 'Blind Spot Assist' (with exit warning assistant), 'Cross-wind Assist', 'Lane Keep Assist', a tyre pressure warning system, a reversing camera plus ‘Parking Distance Control’ (front and rear), 'Traffic Sign Assist', a wet weather brake drying function, and ‘Active High Beam Control’.

If all that fails to prevent an impact you'll be protected by the 'Pre-Safe' accident anticipatory system, plus nine airbags (front, pelvis and window for driver and front passenger, side airbags for rear seat occupants and a driver's knee bag), and the 'Active Bonnet' automatically tilts to minimise pedestrian injuries.

There’s also an impact-sensing auto door unlock system, an auto emergency call function and crash responsive emergency lighting, plus a first-aid kit, warning triangle and (five) hi-vis vests in the boot are thoughtful additions.

The A-Class (which encompasses the CLA) was awarded a maximum five ANCAP stars in 2018, and for smaller occupants there are three child restraint/baby capsule top tether points across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

The Multivan is covered by Volkswagen’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or annually and will cost you between about $600-800 a year.

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.