2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA uncovered

KUALA LUMPUR: The new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA uncovered just before the final proceedings and after its much-talked-about teaser. The images of the new 4-door coupe are out and so does its details. From the look at the images, there is nothing revolutionary rather a few notable changes.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA underpins the Modular Front Architecture (MFA2), which also forms the basis for the A-Class. Up front, there is a trapezoidal grille with the company’s logo stamped at the centre that’s garnished by the sleek chrome bar on either side. The headlights don’t embrace a major change. They still have that curvy look. The bonnet is quite aggressive with pronounced character lines. The model shown here is probably the Edition 1 unit that gets orange treatment on the wheel flanges, front splitter and the rear diffuser.

Moving on to the sides, the sweeping roofline still remains but the curved shoulder line has been ditched for a cleaner and smoother side profile. The placement of door mirrors has been changed from the A-pillars to the front doors. The images don’t show the rear end but from the past teasers, it can be said that it’ll come with restyled two-piece taillights and new number plate positioned on the bumper instead of the boot lid.

Just like outside, the inside of the car has also been given orange touches. The highlights include the ‘Edition’ stripe on the dash, air vents and stitching on the seats, doors and centre console. Additionally, there is a big flat screen display at the centre, turbine-like air vents, flat-bottom sporty multifunction steering wheel, and a fully digital multi-info display.

Moreover, there is an advanced Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, an Interior Assistant, which is basically a gesture control system to turn on map light for the driver when getting hands on something on the passenger’s seat and other range of features.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA has gone wider by 53 mm and longer by 48 mm. This also means you can expect increased legroom inside the cabin especially at the back. The height also has been reduced by 2 mm.

Under the hood, it’ll get a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that pumps out a max power of 227 PS and a peak torque of 350 Nm at 1,800-4,000 rpm. More engines are expected to be offered, including the 1.5- and 1.3-litre along with some high-performance AMG variants, this includes CLA 35 and CLA 45. Of which the CLA 35 would be powered by 310 PS mill while the other would get 392 PS or 426 PS unit.