Mercedes-Benz Revs Up 2016 CLA Styling With New Limited “Edition: Orange” and Several Enhancements
The CLA four-door coupe brought a sporty new spirit to the entry-luxury segment when it debuted for model year 2014 and scored a major sales success as well. It enters its third year with a number of new enhancements and debuts a limited-availability Edition: Orange; just 750 will be offered nationwide for the CLA250 and CLA250 4MATIC models.
Both versions of the CLA250 are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine generating 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission with manual mode and paddle shifters is the exclusive transmission available. The thundering AMG CLA45 4MATIC returns as well with its hand-assembled AMG direct injection 2.0-liter 4-cylinder powertrain with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft.
The Edition: Orange amps up the CLA’s style by first combining the Night Package (gloss black exterior trim) and Sport Package. Dramatic black rims are accented by an orange flange. The orange theme repeats for a stripe on the front apron and then carries inside to the leather/dinamica sport seats. Orange stitching accents the seats, armrests, door center panels and dash. Dark aluminum interior trim completes the cabin changes.
New standard DYNAMIC SELECT offers different modes to tailor the car’s performance responses and driving feel. Those modes also affect the available new Adaptive Suspension. An enhanced COMAND display shows the DYNAMIC SELECT settings, engine coolant and oil temperature and, on the 4MATIC model, torque split.
And, just to make the CLA more intriguing to its owner, Mercedes-Benz added a new Welcome Light Show to the optional Ambient Lighting package.
New Connectivity
Mercedes-Benz, which pioneered automotive telematics 15 years ago, has upgraded its mbrace Connected Car Services for 2016, making the new mbrace Connect package standard for all models, along with five years of complimentary service.
The mbrace Connect package includes mbrace Mobile App, mbrace Web Services, Roadside Connection, MB Apps (non-streaming), Vehicle Homepage (EVs), Diagnostics Data and Remote Update for five years.
In addition, customers can choose from three mbrace subscription upgrade packages: mbrace Secure, mbrace Concierge and mbrace Entertain.
Voices will sound clearer thanks to new HD Voice for compatible mobile devices. And, on cars equipped with COMAND, SiriusXM® Traffic & Weather will be included as standard for five years (previously three years), further enhancing the value of this option.
The Style Rebel
A deft combination of sporty proportions and dynamic design language, featuring the interaction of concave and convex surfaces, gives the CLA its hunkered-down coupe stance. In profile, striking character lines link the CLA to the larger CLS. Power domes on the hood and the diamond grille establish a kinship with the company’s top sports car, the AMG GT S.
The arrangement of the headlights and LEDs behind the headlamp lens evokes a "flame effect" for the optional daytime running lights. This light signature is a key aspect of the car's energetic look and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face. The gently sloping roof contour and pronounced curve of the rear window create the CLA’s coupe-style character. A large panorama sunroof is available as a standalone option. It consists of a fixed polycarbonate cover at the front, a glass moving panel and side trim elements to match the glass look.
Interior: Premium Look and Feel
The exterior's progressive, sporty attitude also carries through to the vehicle interior, which features standard anthracite surface trim. Additional trim options include burl walnut wood, black ash wood and aluminum.
Two notable design features give the CLA cabin a high-tech look and feel: the free-standing central display is set in black piano trim and edged with a flush-fitting silver frame; the five air vents are set off by outer rings with a galvanized finish, while a galvanized insert controls the direction of airflow.
Additional Equipment Options
Supporting customers’ digital lifestyle, smartphones can be fully integrated into the vehicle's display and operating system via mbrace2, which is standard equipment. Special equipment packages and a series of standalone options are available to individualize the CLA.
The CLA250 and CLA250 4MATIC are available with the Multimedia Package, Driver Assistance Package and, for a higher level of comfort and convenience, the Premium Package. The latter equips the CLA with KEYLESS GO, SiriusXM satellite radio, harman/kardon Premium Sound System, heated front seats, auto dimming mirrors, a compass and an integrated garage door opener.
Powerful and Efficient
The CLA250 and CLA250 4MATIC both feature Mercedes-Benz’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It comes standard with the ECO stop/start function to help reduce fuel consumption and is teamed exclusively to the 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission for an exemplary combination of sporty performance and comfort.
Precision handling
The CLA was born to carve the curves McPherson strut front suspension and multilink rear suspension. Three control arms and one trailing arm at each of the rear wheels enable longitudinal and transverse forces to be handled separately. Specific to the CLA, the flexible decoupling of the rear axle sub-frame provides improved ride characteristics. Aluminum wheel mounts and spring guides reduce unsprung mass.
The CLA also comes as standard with electromechanical power steering, which also helps reduce fuel consumption. This system also facilitates various steering assistance functions activated by the ESP® control unit. These include counter-steering in the event of oversteer, corrective steering when braking on road surfaces with differing levels of grip (split-friction braking), minimization of torque steer and compensation for crosswinds and road gradients.
Both the front wheel drive and 4MATIC variants of the CLA250 come standard with 17-inch, 5-spoke, light-alloy wheels and all-season, run-flat tires. The Sport Package offers 18-inch AMG multi-spoke wheels and adds Sport body styling plus perforated front brake discs.
High levels of traction and outstanding agility - 4MATIC all-wheel drive
A new-generation 4MATIC all-wheel drive system provides the CLA250 4MATIC with fully variable torque distribution. This new development boasts high levels of traction and outstanding agility combined with excellent safety and energy efficiency.
Components of the CLA’s 4MATIC system include the power takeoff to the rear axle, which is integrated into the 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission, and the rear differential with an integrated electro-hydraulic, multi-disc clutch. This setup enables fully variable distribution of drive between the front and rear axles. Additional benefits include lower system weight than that of competitor systems, as well as a high degree of efficiency.
Smart safety - advanced assistance systems
The CLA naturally lives up to the Mercedes-Benz safety standard. That means it comes with an extensive array of standard driver assistance systems and offers others as options. Standard features include ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection and radar-based COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS with adaptive Brake Assist, which offers collision protection in the CLA from speeds of just 4 mph.
The optional Driver Assistance package also offers DISTRONIC Plus, as well as Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist. PARKTRONIC with Active Parking Assist, available as a standalone option, enables autonomous parking in parallel and perpendicular spaces.
The standard COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is a radar-based assistance system that provides the driver with visual and acoustic warnings of identified obstacles and primes Brake Assist for adaptive braking. Brake Assist is initiated as soon as the driver steps hard on the brake pedal. When the system identifies a risk of collision, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS calculates the ideal braking force needed to avoid an accident and makes the best possible use of any distance remaining. Adaptive Braking Assist activates at speeds of just 4 mph and gives trailing vehicles as much time as possible to also react accordingly and help avoid another accident.
"Always on" - multimedia systems
The latest generation multimedia systems in the CLA provide a wide array of functions, apps and graphics. The CLA250 and CLA250 4MATIC both include the 7-inch display and Bluetooth as standard equipment. The central controller provides an all-access pass to an abundance of advanced technology. The optional Multimedia Package provides an 8-inch display featuring the COMAND system with hard-drive navigation, voice control, in-dash DVD player, a rearview camera and SiriusXM Traffic & Weather.
