Buyers are spoiled for choice when it comes to small premium cars at the moment. Audi makes the A3 in a wide variety of flavours, the VW Golf remains ever-present, and there鈥檚 an all-new BMW 1 Series on the way. But one glance at the Mercedes range suggests that the Stuttgart-based brand could cover the segment on its own. Joining the two new A-Class (hatchback and Saloon) models there is now a pair of CLA variants: a 鈥楽hooting Brake鈥?swoopy estate, and the four-door 鈥楥oupe鈥?driven here. On the face of it, it鈥檚 hard to work out why Mercedes offers the CLA alongside the A-Class Saloon. As with the previous model, the CLA aims to be the trendiest member of Merc鈥檚 small car family. While it shares its wheelbase with the A-Class, it鈥檚 longer overall - 4,688mm to the Saloon鈥檚 4,549mm - and very slightly wider, too. As a result, the gentler flow towards a tapered boot lid helps to give off a mini-CLS vibe, and a look that鈥檚 more coherent than the Saloon鈥檚 somewhat abrupt rump.
The extra length benefits boot space, too: at 460 litres, the CLA is almost on par with the larger C-Class for storage, and is more spacious than the A-Class Saloon (420 litres) and the hatch (370 litres). Obviously, the latter benefits from a much larger opening. The sleek shape does bring with it other compromises, though. Step into the back seats - an act which comes with an extra sense of occasion thanks to the stylish frameless doors - and the 36mm drop in headspace will make taller people feel a little cramped. It鈥檚 compounded by the fact that foot room is tight under the front seats, so buyers looking to carry adults regularly would probably do better with the Audi A3 Saloon. Up front, however, the story is much more positive. Sharing its dash design with the A-Class, the CLA manages to make the Audi, and any other rival for that matter, look old-hat.
Mercedes鈥檚 latest MBUX infotainment system places two digital displays in a continuous sweep across the top of the dash. Other features, like the turbine-style air vents and climate toggle switches, look and feel great, too. In the AMG Line, the MBUX system uses a 10-inch touchscreen beside digital dials shown on a seven-inch display. Spend 拢1,395 on the Premium pack, and this switches to a 10-inch screen, offering customisable trip, navigation and media functions that are controlled through the touch-sensitive pads on the steering wheel. Other Premium extras include augmented reality navigation, which can impose digital instructions onto the nav screen in real time; plus an upgraded sound system, ambient lighting and keyless go. Above that sits the AMG Line Premium Plus. This costs a further 拢1,495 and comes with a panoramic glass roof, electric seats, traffic sign recognition and LED intelligent lighting. Out on the road, the CLA feels much the same to drive as the conventional A-Class models.
The CLA has a wider track, and the extra metal out back means that it weighs 35kg more, but neither changes are significant enough to transform the experience. The CLA turns into corners with more enthusiasm than an A3, and remains flatter as the weight loads up. The outgoing BMW 1 Series, thanks to its rear-driven chassis, feels slightly better balanced, though. The BMW is more comfortable, too. A 1 Series equipped with optional adaptive dampers is able to round off little bumps which the CLA jiggles over. However, at motorway speeds, the CLA manages to settle, and the slippery body shape generates barely a whisper of wind noise. That鈥檚 not something that can be said of the engine. Whether it鈥檚 the diesel-like clatter at idle or the harsh, thrashy sound it makes towards the red line, the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine seems rather out of place in a Mercedes. And while performance is strong - a 6.3-second 0-62mph time is well within hot hatch territory - it鈥檚 hampered by a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox which is slow to kick down and surges on upshifts.
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