Mercedes-Benz CLA on the horizon
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28th January, 2013
The Mercedes-Benz CLA is set to stengthen the German brand's popularity,
amongst mid-size premium saloons with world-leading aerodynamics (Cd = 0.22), avant-garde design and optional 4MATIC
all-wheel drive.
As a new four-door saloon it follows the idea of the CLS, whose design concept has spawned more than its fair share of
imitators since its debut in 2003. With its frameless doors, the new CLA adopts the design of the Concept Style Coupé
into series production. The newcomer features a radar-based braking system (COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST) as standard
which is able to warn the driver of an obstacle from a speed of 7 km/h and to initiate precision braking when the driver
steps on the brake pedal. The new CLA will be released through German dealerships in April 2013. An Australian arrival is
anticipated in late 2013.
"The response to the Concept Style Coupé was overwhelming. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this
car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now," notes Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board
of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "The CLA is a car that does not confuse 'middle range'
with 'middling quality'. Its sporty design underscores the sporty side of the Mercedes-Benz brand."
In keeping with its sporty positioning, the CLA is available with high-torque turbo engines rated at up to 155 kW (211
hp), sports suspension and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The technical highlights of this new design icon include a new world
record in aerodynamics for series production automobiles (Cd value: 0.22) and numerous driving assistance systems,
including advanced COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST.
This radar-based assistance system provides the possibly distracted driver with visual and acoustic warnings of
identified obstacles and prepares Brake Assist for precision braking. Braking is initiated as soon as the driver steps
emphatically on the brake pedal. When an impending danger of collision is identified, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
calculates the precise braking force ideally needed to avoid an accident and makes the best possible use of any distance
remaining. As a new feature, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST affords protection from typical rear-end collisions in dangerous
traffic situations in the CLA from a speed of only 7 km/h (previously: over 30 km/h).
Five lines and packages which vary greatly in 'character' are available to individualise the striking compact
mid-range sedan (length/width/height: 4,630/1,777/1,437 millimetres). In keeping with the modern lifestyle of the CLA's
target buyer group, smartphones can additionally be fully integrated into the vehicle's display and operating system.
Following a brief appearance on the eve of America's 2013 Detroit Motor Show, the CLA was displayed at the
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin (Germany) a little over a week ago.
The style rebel: exterior design
Its breathtakingly sporty proportions and powerfully dynamic design idiom featuring an interplay between concave and
convex surfaces give this four-door its unmistakable look. The CLA adopts the avant-garde design of the Concept Style
Coupé into series production almost 1:1.
The vehicle's striking features include the bonnet embedded in the front end with powerdomes and the diamond-look
grille. The light modules and LEDs behind the headlamp cover glass have been arranged in such a way as to provide the
characteristic "flare effect" for the daytime driving lights and indicators. This light signet defines the car's
energetic appearance and shapes a new, youthful Mercedes face.
Numerous details indicate that on a design level the CLA represents a further development of the modern classic
Mercedes-Benz CLS. Three prominent lines give structure to the vehicle when viewed from the side: the front structural
edge over the front mudguards flows towards the rear end in a characteristic dropping line. Another, more sinewy line
spans the shoulder 'muscle' above the rear axle, while the third feature line extends in a sweeping curve from the front
wheels towards the rear. Together, these lines lend depth and dynamism to the side profile.
The width-emphasising rear end exudes power and athleticism, featuring an interplay between convex and concave
surfaces and edges. The gently sloping roof contour and the pronounced, hallmark curvature of the rear window provide
the CLA with a stylish character from the rear, too. The athletic impression from the rear results from the drawn-in
C-pillars in conjunction with the shoulder muscle over the rear wheel arch linings. The tail lights are framed by
the muscular lines of the shoulders which extend into the rear end, the horizontal orientation of the lights emphasising
the rear's powerful and aesthetic breadth. The light functions feature an arrow-style arrangement.
A large panoramic tilting/sliding sunroof is optionally available. This sunroof consists of a fixed polycarbonate
cover at the front, a moving element made of mineral crystal and side trims to match the glass look. As such, the glass
surface then extends from the front windscreen to the rear window.
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"Cool touch" effect: the interior
The exterior's progressive, sporty appearance is continued inside the vehicle. The interior additionally derives a
very special quality feel from the design idiom, the selection of high-quality materials and the available combinations
of materials. All trim surfaces are galvanised in silver shadow, resulting in a metallic finish with "cool touch".
The instrument panel incorporates five round vents. The outer rings of the round vents have a high-quality
electroplated finish. The airflow direction is governed by a galvanised insert that reveals a meticulous attention to
detail. The free-standing display screen features a black piano-lacquer-look front panel and a flush-fitting silver
frame.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA is fitted with integral seats in the front and rear, underscoring its sporty character. The rear
bench seat emphasises the outer seats (2+1 seater). Coloured contrasting stitching is available, according to the
selected interior appointment options. A fibre-optic cable in the opening between head restraint and backrest is
optionally available as part of the ambient lighting.
Sleek as they come: new record Cd value
With a Cd value of 0.23, the CLA sets a new benchmark – both within the Mercedes-Benz model range and among all
production vehicles. The drag area, Cd x A -which is crucial to aerodynamic resistance – also leads the field, at 0.51
m². This already record figure is undercut still further by the CLA 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition, which will be launched
across Europe in June. In this case the Cd figure is 0.22, while in terms of wind resistance the new four-door manages to
breach another magic barrier: the figure here is just 0.49 m².
The good air flow characteristics, which are a major contributory factor to the vehicle's low fuel consumption in
everyday conditions, result from numerous aerodynamic optimisation measures. These include a low A-pillar shoulder with
adapted A-pillar geometry, aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors, wheel trims designed for low aerodynamic drag and
serrated wheel spoilers on the front and rear wheel arches.
Extensive under body panelling, additional panelling in the middle area of the rear axle and an aerodynamically
optimised rear silencer followed by a diffuser improve the flow of air under the under body.
Smart safety: advanced assistance systems
Numerous driving assistance systems offer support in the CLA and reduce the driver's workload. Standard-fit features
for the saloon include ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection and radar-based COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST with adaptive
Brake Assist, which now helps to protect the CLA from collisions from a speed of only 7 km/h (previously: over 30 km/h).
This feature combines with DISTRONIC PLUS to become COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, incorporating an additional
function: when a danger of collision persists and the driver fails to respond, the system is able to carry out autonomous
braking at speeds of up to 200 km/h, thereby reducing the severity of collisions with slow or stationary vehicles. The
system also brakes in response to stationary vehicles at a speed of up to 30 km/h and is able to potentially prevent
rear-end collisions at speeds of up to 20 km/h.
Established assistance systems, such as the Lane Tracking package with Blind Spot and Lane Keeping Assist or Adaptive
Highbeam Assist, are also available for the CLA. Active Parking Assist (option) enables automatic parking in lengthways
and crossways parking spaces.
Designed for dynamism: the chassis and suspension
The chassis of the CLA features a McPherson front axle and an independent multilink rear suspension, featuring three
control arms and one trailing arm per wheel. This means that longitudinal and lateral dynamics are virtually independent
of one another. A CLA-specific feature is the flexible decoupling of the rear axle carrier, which benefits ride comfort.
Wheel carriers and spring links consist of aluminium, in order to reduce the unsprung masses. Two chassis and suspension
set-ups are available: the comfort suspension and the optional sports suspension for sporty yet comfortable handling. The
latter entails lowering of the body by 20 mm (front) and 15 mm (rear).
Irrespective of the selected chassis, all CLA variants come with the Direct Steer system. This electromechanical power
steering offers improved feedback to the driver in comparison to conventional systems regarding the prevailing driving
conditions and makes an important contribution towards overall efficiency, as the steering assist function only requires
energy when steering is actually carried out. It additionally enables various steering assistance functions which are
activated by the ESP® control unit. These include counter-steering in case of oversteering, corrective
steering when braking on road surfaces offering different levels of grip (split-friction braking), mitigation of the
extent to which the front-wheel drive influences the steering and compensation of crosswind and road gradients.
High tractive power reserves and outstanding agility: 4MATIC all-wheel drive
The CLA from Mercedes-Benz is optionally available with a new generation of the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive
system featuring fully variable torque distribution. Similarly to the other 4MATIC versions, this completely new
development boasts high tractive power reserves and outstanding agility combined with superlative driving safety and
energy efficiency.
The components of the new 4MATIC include the power take-off to the rear axle which is integrated in the 7G-DCT
automated dual clutch transmission and the rear-axle gear with integrated, electrohydraulically controlled multi-disc
clutch. This set-up enables fully variable distribution of the drive torque between front and rear axle. Additional
benefits of this design are a lower system weight than is available from the competition and high efficiency.
All set for the future: powerful and efficient drive
A year ahead of the scheduled introduction of the Euro 6 in 2014, all petrol-engine variants and the top diesel
variant of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA already meet the future requirements of this European emissions standard.
The petrol engines with a displacement of 1.6 and 2.0 litres cover an output spectrum ranging from 90 kW (122 hp) in
the CLA 180 through 115 kW (156 hp) in the CLA 200 to 155 kW (211 hp) in the CLA 250. The two diesel engines combine
dynamic low-end torque with the utmost efficiency: the CLA 200 CDI generates 100 kW (136 hp), with maximum torque of 300
Nm (available in Europe from the 3rd quarter 2013). With a cubic capacity of 2.2 litres, the CLA 220 CDI will offer an
output of 125 kW (170 hp) and 350 Nm of torque, emitting only 109 g CO2 per kilometre under certain circumstances.
All the engines feature the ECO start/stop function as standard. The engines are combined with a six-speed manual
transmission or with the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission, which reconciles comfort and sportiness in
inimitable fashion.
An overview of the European models:
Model
|
|
CLA 180 |
CLA 180 BE Edition *** |
CLA 200 |
CLA 250 |
CLA 220 CDI |
|
|
Petrol, direct injection |
Diesel, direct injection |
Displacement |
cc |
1,595 |
1,595 |
1,595 |
1,991 |
2,143 |
Transmission |
|
6-speed |
6-speed |
6-speed |
7G-DCT |
7G-DCT |
Output |
kW (hp) |
90 (122) |
90 (122) |
115 (156) |
155 (211) |
125 (170) |
max. Torque |
Nm |
200 |
200 |
250 |
350 |
350 |
Fuel consumption combined |
l/100 km |
5.4 – 5.6 |
5.0 |
5.5 – 5.7 |
6.1 – 6.2 |
4.2 – 4.5 |
CO2-emissions** |
g/km |
126 - 130 |
118 |
127 - 131 |
142 - 144 |
109 - 117 |
Acceleration 0-100 km/h |
s |
9.3 |
9.9 |
8.6 |
6.7 |
8.2 |
max. Speed |
km/h |
210 |
190**** |
230 |
240 |
230 |
** combined, *** BE = BlueEFFICIENCY, **** electronically limited
"Always on": the multimedia systems
The latest multimedia generation deployed in the CLA boasts new functions, additional apps and a modified graphic
colour scheme.
Daimler's Digital Drive Style app concept, which together with the "Drive Kit Plus for the iPhone®" enables seamless
integration of the iPhone® into the vehicle, has been extended. The highlights include Siri voice control and Glympse
real-time location sharing. Glympse enables the user to share his or her current location with selected persons. Other
functions are social media, internet radio, AUPEO!™ Personal Radio and the advanced navigation solution from Garmin® with
web-based real-time traffic information, on-line special destination search including Street View™ and 3D map display.
The COMAND Online multimedia system has also been extended. The latest generation offers improved, photo-realistic map
display, an additional Bluetooth® profile (to enable the internet to be accessed by iPhone®, for example),
the display of images additionally in bmp and png formats and the real-time transfer of traffic data via LIVE TRAFFIC.
The Mercedes management on the CLA
"The style rebel"
"We are adopting the expressive design of the Concept Style Coupé 1:1 into series production. With its unique
design idiom, I am convinced that the CLA will firmly make its mark on the image of the Mercedes-Benz brand." .....
Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
"Serially avant-garde – and yet the CLA remains true to Mercedes-Benz's core values by setting new standards in
aerodynamics, efficiency and driving assistance systems, for example." ..... Prof Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the
Daimler Board of Management, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.
"We aim to reach new target groups with the CLA – including those who never intended driving a Mercedes." .....
Dr Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales and Marketing.
"The dynamic design idiom is manifested in breath-taking proportions, muscular, flowing contours and sculptural
surfaces. The CLA is a style rebel." ..... Gorden Wagener, Head of Design, Mercedes-Benz Cars.
E&OE.
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