Mercedes benz CLA250

The Mercedes Benz - CLA250

Mercedes-Benz has been dabbling in front-wheel drive vehicles since the launch of the A-Class in 1998, but the new CLA-Class is the first front-driver that is earmarked for the United States market. Based on Mercedes' recently-introduced modular MFA platform, the CLA aims to boost the automaker's image while drawing a younger clientele into showrooms.

Buyers who want a sportier version of the CLA should look at the ultra-quick, 375-hp Mercedes-AMG CLA 

Recent Changes
For the latest model year, the CLA250 gains additional option packages and new contrast stitching.

Overview
Often billed as a baby CLS-Class, the CLA is a compact four-door coupe that measures 182 inches long, 69 inches wide and 56 inches high. These dimensions make it about as tall and as wide as the rear-wheel drive C-Class but 1.5 inches longer.

Up front, the CLA is nearly identical to the third-generation A-Class hatchback that is exclusively sold in Europe. It features a muscular front bumper, a long and rippled hood and a single-slat grille that prominently houses Mercedes' trademark three-pointed star emblem. Bi-xenon headlights with integrated daytime running lamps are available at an extra cost.

Around back, the CLA features a sloping roof line that helps give it a drag coefficient of 0.23 Cd, making it the world's most aerodynamic regular-production car. It borrows design cues such as its curved trunk lid and its rounded LED tail lamps from the larger - and much more expensive - CLS.