2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA - All you need to know

Do you know when was the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA was launched in the United States? At the starting of 2019, in January. And it took eight months for it to reach the Philippines! Isn’t that insane? Anyway, since now it is here, thanks to the Auto Nation Group which is the official importer and distributor of Mercedes-Benz cars in the country, let us have a closer at it and find out what’s new.

Exterior

As always, we would like to start with the exterior of the car. The new 2020 CLA is undoubtedly a Merc. Even a blind person would be able to recognise it. However, for the 2020 model year, Mercedes has done a slew of changes in the way the CLA carries itself. It looks more aggressive and sportier than ever. Its LED headlamps along with the LED DRLs give it an angry and mean appearance. Mercedes has tweaked the design of the front grille. The diamond-grille still carries the brand logo with pride. Combine that with the car’s low-slung hood and redesigned front bumper, and you have a very athletic design. We also like the two subtle lines on the bonnet.

Stepping to the side, the 2020 CLA reflects simplicity. There are no bold and sharp character lines whatsoever. The entire side view of the car is neat, tidy, smooth and uncluttered. It is only the CLA’s sloping and curvy roofline that attracts your attention. This gives it a coupe-like stance which should be liked by many. Another element on the side that would certainly like to have a part of your focus is the set of new 18-in alloy wheels.

Mercedes also changed the rear end of the new CLA slightly. We see a pair of new LED tail lamps that flushes brilliantly with the car’s body enhancing the coupe-like design. The rear bumper has also been made sleeker than before. And of course, we continue to get the chrome treatment on it.

Here’s what the chief design officer of Daimler AG, Gorden Wagener, has to say about the new 2020 CLA, “As a four-door coupe, the new CLA intrigues with its puristic, seductive profile and brings the design DNA of ‘sensual purity’ to a new level. It is compelling for its perfect proportions, which are very close to the initial design sketches: a long, stretched bonnet, a compact greenhouse, a wide track with flared wheel arches and our typical GT rear end with a pronounced ‘Coke-bottle shoulder.”

Interior

The cabin of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA is exactly what you would expect from a luxury German car. It has leather everywhere. Comfort is something that you would not need to worry about at all. And if you are an enthusiast, Mercedes has got you covered too. The main highlighting feature here should be the large MBUX touchscreen infotainment system. It is a seamless screen that shows a ton of information. We also have aircraft-inspired turbine-like AC vents which have become quite obvious in the latest Mercedes cars.

Mercedes has also added its new voice command functionality. Saying ‘Hey Mercedes’, you can use a set of predefined voice commands to have a new experience. And this isn’t a gimmick. It actually works. Other interesting features include a large sunroof, touchpad on the centre console for operating the large touch screen, 3-spoke sporty steering wheel with mounted controls, various connectivity options like Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, etc., and even hand gesture controls.

Safety features

Mercedes doesn’t like to compromise with the safety standards of its cars and the new 2020 CLA is nothing different. It has various advanced safety features that a modern-day car should have, like adaptive cruise control, collision prevention assist, electronic stability program, adaptive brake, ABS, acceleration skid control (ASR), airbags, and whatnot.

Engine

The new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA specs come with a single 1.3-litre 4-cylinder engine option which has been tuned to produce 136 bhp of max power and 200 Nm of peak torque. It is powerful enough to keep that subtle smile on your face all the time. Also, the new slick 7-speed dual-clutch transmission works wonders to make that smile bigger. Yes, the CLA is an FWD-car but that doesn’t stop it to have fun.

There is only a single engine option perhaps because there is only a single variant of the car - the CLA 180 - and if you want that, it is going to set you back by a whopping Php 3.19 million. The new 2020 CLA is available in 9 colour options - Polar White, Digital White, Night Black, Mountain Gray, Denim Blue, Sun Yellow, Jupiter Red, Mojave Silver, and Cosmos Black.

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