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Spectacular to watch, the Mercedes CLA is much
less demonstrative driving |
Even standing still, it seems to leap: with its four-door coupe profile, its curves and its worked very stern design study, CLA amazes. But his taste for the show has not only advantages despite its 4.63 m, this "baby CLS" is neither spacious ... nor cheap.
In the long undulating ribbon of asphalt south of Mont Sainte-Victoire, near Aix-en-Provence, I'm a CLA for the pleasure of seeing in motion. Despite a leisurely pace, other motorists willingly depart, impressed.
Nothing to say, the Mercedes designers have worked overtime: a trunk grafted, Class A has delivered a spectacular sedan. Between the sparkling chrome grille points so chips diamonds, sculpted flanks worked very stern and aggressive desire, loving CLA retinas as four-door sedans are rarely capable. In my view, it does not have the sleek stature of its big sister CLS, but we must recognize that it imposes far more than the aging C-Class. The comparison with the latter imposes itself as the CLA than the C 4 cm (4.63 m against 4.59). A respectable template which is not detected at first glance, especially since the passenger is not larger than that.
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Refined and dynamic edge of the CLA Fascination
finish, especially bristling with options like
atmosphere here |
Benefits
Careful presentation
Driving position
Comfort with standard chassis
Pitfalls of
Less sporty to drive as look
Access and rear passenger
Poor visibility
Thus, moving to the back requires effort, as bowing frankly entering under penalty of head banging. Blame the amount that falls rapidly backwards. Despite my 1.71m, once seated, I hit the roof, while the low glass surfaces and bulky front seatbacks enhance the feeling of closeness. That the tape confirms compared to a C-Class, missing 2 cm legroom and above 6 cm in width at the shoulders. In short, the CLA is not a patented family, despite a trunk that announces the correct volume of 470 dm ³ (475 dm3 in the C-Class). But between the narrow opening, width and height, and a hook closure in which it is easy to knock the skull (outch!), This is not the ideal boot. As in Class A, the choice seats are in the front.
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Sport chassis significantly degrades depreciation,
without providing much in driving accuracy |
Centered on the driver that encloses the cockpit cleverly blends luxury and sportiness with an unusual freshness to a model badged Mercedes generally more formal. But if development in eyeful, finish, correct, causes less than superlatives. The quality of materials is less than that seen in an Audi A3, for example. As for ergonomics, it requires a little practice. In particular, the speed minilevier located right of the steering wheel, I confused several times with a wiper Commodo ... I found myself coasting! A gaffe uninitiated: the fans of the brand well know, them, the said order is left. Similarly, tame the full range of driver assistance systems available as an option, such as the Innovations Plus Pack is not instinctive. However, the Brake Assist included in this pack sometimes trigger a sharp slowdown for no good reason ...
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The rear seats are cramped and small glass surfaces
give the impression of being in a coupe |
Attracted by the sporty atmosphere, the desire to see if the chirping is the plumage is increasingly felt. Fortunately, around the Castellet circuit, there is everything you need to gauge a CLA, which, incidentally, is a front-wheel drive, when a C-Class remains a propulsion. For the time being, under the hood, the 220 CDI diesel 170 hp officiating. Petri torque (350 Nm) but undemonstrative, this four-cylinder is associated only with the automatic transmission 7G-DCT dual clutch. And it is only half convinced. The shifts are pretty slow and disappointing management: comfort mode, the gearbox shifts up a gear early (history of lower consumption), requiring the 2.2 back in 1500 r / min regime where it buzzes. If switch to Sport mode avoids the inconvenience, the box requires too much in return motor brake and unpleasant jolts in town.
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Although the Mercedes refers to as a "cut", the CLA
is primarily a sedan tapered profile |
In short, it misses the intermediate mode ... that would fit the temperament reassuring without actually being athletic, chassis. Uncommunicative, management does not know where we put the wheels, while the front does not reveal a devilish grip, despite the 18-inch wheels found here. At least they do not degrade them comfort, really ok if you are happy with the settings of the original chassis. However, flee Sport chassis (standard on the Fascination finish, free option on the other), which significantly degrades the damping, without providing much in driving accuracy. Still, the behavior of the CLA lack of pep in the diesel version, plus it requires a smaller back and hearty prices vision. This version 220 CDI 7G-DCT starts at € 37,500 (April 2013 prices). This is € 2,700 more than the Class A from which it derives (€ 34,800), and very close to € 38,350 that requires a Class C 220 CDI auto. Less spectacular but not really less dynamic driving, this "granny" reveals much more spacious and practical everyday.
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