Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class launched in India, from Rs. 31.5 lakh

Exactly 2 years after it was revealed to the world, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has arrived in India. The A-Class based compact sedan is the most affordable sedan in Mercedes line-up and will battle it out against the Audi A3 in India.

mercedes-cla-launched-india-001The CLA-Class is the most affordable Mercedes sedan on sale today.

The new compact sedan comes in three flavours for our market – the CLA 200 CDI Style for Rs 31.50 lakh, CLA 200 Petrol Sport for Rs 35 lakh and CLA 200 CDI Sport for Rs 35.9 lakh (all prices ex-showroom New Delhi). While the CLA is essentially an A-Class in a new body variant, the design hints more at the CLS, hence the baby CLS moniker.

The available engine options for this ‘baby CLS’ range include – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that churns out 181bhp of power and 300Nm of torque. While the diesel trim is boosted with a 2.1-litre four-cylinder mill that produces 135bhp of power and 300Nm of torque. Both the variants come mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission with power sent to the front wheels only.

mercedes-cla-launched-india-002The bonnet embedded in the front end with powerdomes and the diamond radiator grille.

The CLA petrol is capable of sprinting from 0-100 kmph in 7.8 seconds and top speed of 235 kmph, while CLA 200 CDI will manage 0-100 kmph acceleration in 9.8 seconds. The company claims an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 15.04 kmpl on the petrol and 17.09 kmpl on the diesel CLA sedan.

According to reports the first 100 units of this sedan would be brought through Complete-Built-Unit (CBU) after which the forth coming units would be brought through Completely-Knocked-Down (CKD) route.

mercedes-cla-launched-india-003Best-in-class aerodynamics: The lowest drag coefficient of any production car in the world.

And like its AMG version, the regular CLA is also based on the familiar MFA (Mercedes Front-Wheel Drive Architecture) platform that already underpins all the front-wheel drive products from the brand’s portfolio currently available in the country, including the A-, B- and the GLA-Class, the India-spec CLA has a greater ground clearance, a change the manufacturer has brought in for Indian road conditions.

The CLA-Class sedan’s fascia sports the floating dots grille, massively sculpted air intakes and the chin spoiler that gives it an aggressive look. The clean sculpted lines on the sides add to the styling of the five-door car. At the back, the immaculate design is completed by the nicely carved bumper with a sharp looking boot lid.

mercedes-cla-launched-india-004Segment benchmark in styling, design and size (longest wheelbase: 2699mm); differentiating it from core competitors.

On the inside, the CLA gets high quality materials and features that have trickled down from larger Mercedes sedans. It’s loaded with an updated telematics infotainment system with a bigger resolution display, navigation, 12 speaker Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system, Bluetooth, CD, USB connectivity as well as an additional USB port on the centre armrest for rear seat access. You also get panoramic sliding roof, reverse camera and bi-Xenon headlights as standard.

 
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Also see – Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG launched in India @ Rs. 68.5 lakh