The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a series of luxury subcompact executive cars manufactured by

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

since 2013. The first generation was a four-door sedan based on the platform of the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class

compact car Compact car is a vehicle size class—predominantly used in North America—that sits between subcompact cars and mid-size cars. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the C-segment in the European car classification. However, before ...

s, marketed as a four-door

coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...

. In 2015, Mercedes-Benz expanded the CLA family to include a station wagon configuration which it markets as a

Shooting Brake Shooting-brake (alternatively spelled shooting break) is a car body style which originated in the 1890s from horse-drawn carriage origins. The first automotive shooting brakes were manufactured in the early 1900s in the United Kingdom. The vehi ...

. As the V177 A-Class sedan took its place as the budget-conscious sedan, the second generation got longer and wider than the W205 C-Class. The CLA is Mercedes-Benz's first front-wheel drive vehicle offered in the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

market. The CLA range is positioned above the A-Class and it is nearly on the level of the C-Class in the Mercedes model range, and models tend to be less practical than the A-Class it is based on. The CLA first went on sale in Europe in April 2013, and was subsequently introduced in the United States in September 2013. Its largest markets are Western Europe and the United States. Global cumulative CLA sales reached 100,000 during its first year, cited as "our best launch in 20 years" by Mercedes-Benz. Worldwide, Mercedes-Benz sold about 750,000 units of the first generation. __TOC__

First generation (C117; 2013)

Development and launch

The design of the C117 CLA is based on the Concept Style Coupe concept unveiled by Mercedes-Benz at the 2012 Avant/Garde Diaries event in Los Angeles, followed by the 2012 Auto China, and Huashan 1914 Creative Park. It is a four-door

fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is not a fastback design with a roofline that tapers downward toward the car's rear before being cut of ...

coupe A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...

, based on the platform of the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class compact cars. The production version C117 CLA was publicly unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show, with sales commencing in September 2013. Trial production of the CLA at the

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( ) is a city with county rights in central Hungary. It is the List of cities and towns of Hungary, eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun County, Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the ca ...

plant at southeast of

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, Hungary started in 2012, with production at Kecskemét plant beginning in January 2013. Mercedes claimed that the C117 would be the most aerodynamic production vehicle on sale with a , beating the previous most-aerodynamic, the

Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a battery-electric, four-door full-size car produced by the American automaker Tesla since 2012. The automaker's second vehicle and longest-produced model, the Model S has both received mixed reviews from critics and a ...

with . The CLA 180 CDI Blue Efficiency was claimed to be even more aerodynamic with a . However, independent measurement by ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...

'' Magazine in May 2014 bore out Tesla's claim by exactly confirming a drag coefficient of , putting Mercedes' claim into question by measuring the CLA at . The test done by ''Car And Driver'' was in turn criticized for being imprecise as to which model variant of the CLA was tested and which variant was advertised featuring a . The C117 CLA was also the first

front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...

vehicle ever offered by Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. market. The 2015 model included updated infotainment with a bigger central screen and an updated head unit with iPhone interface as standard, Collision Prevention Assist Plus autonomous braking made standard and an extra 5 kW for the CLA 220 CDI. Furthermore, the 2016 model brought Carplay as an option to the CLA. A facelift was introduced for the CLA model range in 2017, offering new restyled headlights and restyled taillights with available bold LED lighting.

Initial release

CLA Edition 1 (2013–2015)

Available in CLA 180, CLA 200, CLA 250, CLA 220 CDI, they are versions of the respective CLA models with a choice of five body colours: mountain grey, cosmos black, night black, cirrus white or designo polar silver magno (expected to be available from the third quarter of 2013). The Edition 1 features AMG front and rear aprons, AMG side sill panels, black painted multi-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels, diamond-style radiator grille with black fin and chrome inserts, bi-xenon headlamps, lowered sports suspension, exclusive NEON ART interior, sports seats upholstered in leather and black

microfibre Microfiber (microfibre in British English) is synthetic fibre finer than one denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometers. The most common types of microfiber are made variously of polyesters; polyamides (e.g., ...

DINAMICA with yellow stitching, instrument panel and the beltlines upholstered in ARTICO man-made leather with yellow stitching, trim elements in aluminium with a light longitudinal grain, and a three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel with a flattened bottom section and perforations in the grip area. The vehicles went on sale for the twelve months after the launch of CLA vehicles.

CLA 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition (2013–2019)

It is a version of CLA 180 with reduced fuel consumption. Drag coefficient value was reduced to 0.22 via low A-pillar shoulder with adapted A-pillar geometry, aerodynamically optimised exterior mirror housings and rear shape, optimised diffuser, optimised underbody and rear axle panelling, radiator shutter, aero wheel trims and serrated wheel spoilers on the front and rear wheel arches. The vehicle was set to go on sale in September 2013.

Mercedes-Benz Sport Equipment CLA 200 concept (2013)

It is a version of Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 demonstrating Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH equipment for the CLA. It included "Road & Track" decal kit (number '1' decal at front door and hood, decorative stripe in red/grey runs along the centre of the car), carbon fibre-style exterior mirror housings, front apron spoiler lip and rear spoiler; red-painted brake callipers, Styling Package Night (black window surrounds, black shoulderline trip strips), 18-inch two-tone 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels in matt black with red rim flange, Sport badge at front wings, illuminated door sill panels with Sport lettering, a leather sports steering wheel, sports pedals in brushed stainless steel, Sport floor mats Drive Kit Plus. The vehicles were unveiled in 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show.

Shooting Brake (2015–2019)

Mercedes-Benz announced the X117 CLA Shooting Brake at the 2014 LA Auto Show, which is a five-door station wagon version of the CLA sedan. It measures in at the same length as the CLA sedan and also shares the same wheelbase. It was not sold in the United States. The only visual changes start from the B-pillar, which provides more headroom in the backseat area. It also provides more boot space than the sedan, 470 litres to 495 litres, while folding the rear seats flat frees a usable 1354 litres. The Shooting Brake has worse fuel economy than the sedan due to the slight kerb weight increase and the drag coefficient increasing from to .

Technical details

Engines

All CLA models are powered by four-cylinder engines, including a choice of 1.6 L and 2.0 L petrol, and three diesels, a 1.5L, a 1.8 L and a 2.2 L. Most of the engines come in a range of different states of tuning, and all include a stop-start feature. *With optional extra-cost AMG Driver's Package. **(sold only in states LA, TX) Optional package, not base model. ***The designation "d" replaces "CDI" on all diesel models from 2015 onwards.

Transmissions

The 7G-DCT transmission includes electric activation of the hydraulics for the parking lock, which is locked by mechanical means; three gearshift programs (ECONOMY, SPORT, MANUAL). 7G-DCT transmission option became available for CLA 180 in June 2013, followed by CLA 200 CDI in September 2013.

AMG models

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 (2013–2018)

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 (previously Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG) is a high-performance model of the CLA from

Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach), is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz AMG v ...

. The car shares its drivetrain with the A45 AMG, and it features an AMG M133 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-scroll turbocharged petrol engine, 4MATIC all wheel drive, SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed transmission with paddle shifters, AMG sports suspension with independently developed front and rear axles, electromechanical AMG speed-sensitive sports steering, AMG high-performance braking system, three-stage ESP with "SPORT Handling" mode. Other features include AMG "twin-blade" radiator grille in matt titanium grey, AMG front fascia with front splitter in matt titanium grey, Large side cooling air intakes with black flics, Side sill panels with inserts in matt titanium grey, "TURBO AMG" lettering on front wing, AMG rear fascia with stylised side air outlet openings, Rear diffuser insert with trim in matt titanium grey, AMG sports exhaust system with two rectangular chrome-plated tailpipe trims featuring twin-tailpipe design, Bi-xenon headlamps, Tail lights with LED technology, Red seat belts, sports seats in ARTICO man-made leather/DINAMICA microfibre with red contrasting topstitching and red seat belts, the multifunction sports steering wheel with shift paddles, and the AMG DRIVE UNIT with E-SELECT lever, instrument panel trim in brushed aluminium and five galvanised ventilation outlets, central colour display incorporates the AMG main menu including RACETIMER. The AMG M133 2.0 twin-scroll turbocharged 4-cylinder engine was the world’s most powerful production 4-cylinder engine when the CLA 45 AMG was introduced. The engine produces and from a 2.0-litre engine, with a claimed 0– acceleration time of 4.3 seconds. The vehicle was unveiled in the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, followed by the 2013 New York International Auto Show. It went on sale in late September 2013. For the 2016 year model, Mercedes-AMG increased the horsepower of the CLA 45. It now has and which allows the car to accelerate from 0– in 4.1 seconds compared to the previous 4.4 seconds with . New features that were added include AMG DYNAMIC SELECT and an introduction to AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package which brings enhanced acceleration, suspension, and transmission.

CLA 45 AMG Edition 1 (2014)

The Edition 1 model includes Night package, red accents on the radiator grille and exterior mirrors, and AMG sports stripes in matt graphite grey above the side sill panels; optional Intelligent Light System includes red accents on the headlamps, AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels in matt black with special AMG hub caps featuring a centre-locking look, red brake callipers, 8 x 19 alloy wheels with 235/35 R 19 tyres, spoiler lip in high-gloss black on the boot lid, choice of 2 standard (cirrus white, night black) and 4 optional (cosmos black metallic, mountain grey metallic, polar silver metallic, designo polar silver magno) body colours.

CLA 45 AMG Racing Series (2013)

This is a race car version of the CLA 45 AMG for the CLA 45 AMG Racing Series, with carbon-fibre reinforced plastics doors. The vehicle was unveiled in the 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show.

CLA 45 AMG 4matic AMG 50th Anniversary Edition (2017)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of AMG, Mercedes-Benz Korea launched a 50-unit limited edition of the CLA 45 AMG. It was fitted with 'AMG Aerodynamic package' in stock condition. Externally, it had a Cosmos Black interior colour with matte grey AMG stripes across the hood and the doors. They also gave yellow highlights, such as the side mirrors, wheels, and the bottom part of the front, rear, and back side of the car. In the interior, it was finished with black coloured alcantara and leather, and gave yellow highlights like the exterior, such as the air vents, dashboard, and floor mats. It also had AMG performance seats and Harman/Kardon Logic7 stereo system as stock.

Safety

Euro NCAP

The CLA achieved the best possible rating of five stars for occupant safety, pedestrian protection and assistance systems in the demanding

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven, Belgium. Formed in 1996, the first results were released in February ...

assessment scheme. The CLA comes standard with a number of safety systems like Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive braking technology, Daytime Running Lamps and Rain-sensing windshield wipers. The CLA also received three "Euro NCAP Advanced" rewards for these safety innovations, including the radar-assisted second-generation Collision Prevention Assist, the Attention Assist drowsiness detection system and the anticipatory occupant protection system Pre-Safe (optional equipment). Mercedes-Benz upgraded the safety systems for the 2015 CLA with even more of the latest technology, this includes the Collision Prevention Assist Plus, which helps to reduce the risk of rear-end collisions, and also upgraded the Attention Assist and

Traffic Sign Assist Traffic-sign recognition (TSR) is a technology by which a vehicle is able to recognize the traffic signs put on the road e.g. "speed limit" or "children" or "turn ahead". This is part of the features collectively called ADAS. The technology is ...

(with Speed Limit Assist) systems.

Second generation (C118; 2019)

The second generation CLA was unveiled at the 2019

Consumer Electronics Show CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...

in January 2019. Based on the same Modular Front Architecture (MFA2) platform as the W177 A-Class, W247 B-Class, X247 GLB and H247 GLA the C118 CLA retains the

styling to set it apart from the V177 A-Class Sedan and shares its powertrains with the A-Class. Stylistically, the design is inspired by the new design language Mercedes-Benz adopted for the C257 CLS. The C118 has an almost completely flat underbody, resulting in a drag coefficient of 0.23. It uses MacPherson front struts combined with either a twist beam or multi-link at the rear, and the option of adaptive dampers. Compared to its predecessor, the C118 is longer, wider and loses in height, while its wheelbase has been extended by . All models feature the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, including the "Hey Mercedes" voice-controlled assistant and a new Interior Assist gesture control system. Standard models feature two 7-inch displays for the

instrument cluster A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel or IP, or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle, boat, or cockpit of an aircraft or spacecraft. Usually located directly ahead of the driver (or pilot), it displ ...

and MBUX screen, and can be upgraded to 10.25-inch screens, a full-colour head-up display, adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, and active brake assist. The X118 CLA

was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Auto Show, and entered production in June 2019. It has 505 litres of boot space, 10 L more than the outgoing model and 45 L more than the standard CLA. Like its predecessor, the CLA Shooting Brake has a drag coefficient of 0.26. However, the CLA Shooting Brake will not be sold in the United States and Australia. The AMG CLA35 model was unveiled at the 2019

New York International Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes ...

. It uses an

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

layout and has a 7-speed dual clutch AMG SpeedShift DCT transmission. The range-performing variants AMG CLA45 and CLA45 S were unveiled at the 2019

Goodwood Festival of Speed The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hillclimb and other events, held in Goodwood House, West Sussex, in late June or early July. Th ...

. They both uses an all-wheel drive system that can also split torque between the rear wheels via separate clutches and has a 8-speed dual clutch AMG SpeedShift DCT transmission. The AMG variants are also available in the Shooting Brake configuration. The range-performing variants AMG CLA35 4MATIC and CLA45 S 4MATIC+ were unveiled at the 2020 in Thailand. They are imported from Hungary and the AMG variants are also available in the coupe configuration. The CLA 250 e plug-in hybrid variant was revealed in March 2020; it is available as a coupé or estate. It received a facelift in 2023, which involved the removal of the manual transmission, alongside the A-Class and B-Class, resulting in Mercedes-Benz fully retiring manual transmissions. File:2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 AMG Line Premium 2.0 Rear.jpg, 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 AMG Line File:Mercedes-Benz_CLA_250_e_Shooting_Brake_AMG_Line_(X_118)_–_h_11042021.jpg, Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e Shooting Brake File:Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ (C118) at IAA 2019 IMG 0521.jpg, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ File:Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ (C118) at IAA 2019 IMG 0518.jpg, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ File:2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 rear NYIAS 2019.jpg, Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC File:Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC (X118) IMG 3252.jpg, Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4MATIC Shooting Brake File:Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 (C118) Rear.jpg, Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 File:Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Shooting Brake Genf 2019 1Y7A5707.jpg, Interior File:Mercedes-Benz C118 (2023) 1X7A1852.jpg, 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e (facelift) File:Mercedes-Benz C118 (2023) 1X7A1853.jpg, 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e (facelift) File:Mercedes-Benz X118 (2023) IMG 8909.jpg, 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 Shooting Brake (facelift) File:Mercedes-Benz X118 (2023) IMG 8913.jpg, 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 Shooting Brake (facelift)

Technical details

Engines

Transmissions

Safety

Third generation (C178/174; 2025)

The third-generation CLA was unveiled on 13 March 2025, firstly as a sedan. The CLA is the first model to be based on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform. For the first time for Mercedes, the combustion-engine and battery electric models of the CLA identical designs for the exterior and interior, as well as sharing a model name. This marks the end to Mercedes’ strategy of entirely bespoke battery electric models being developed to sit alongside their combustion-engine equivalents, such as with the E-Class and EQE. The battery models comes with an 800-volt electrical architecture and advanced drive units with a two-speed transmission on the main drive at the rear axle. It can recharge up to km of range in just 10 minutes and fast DC charging up to 320 kW.

Exterior

The third-generation CLA adopts Mercedes-Benz Sensual Purity design language and the design was inspired by the Concept CLA-Class previewed at the

2023 Munich Motor Show The 2023 Munich Motor Show (also known as IAA Mobility 2023) was an international auto show held from 5 to 10 September 2023 in Munich, Germany. ''IAA Open Space'' and ''IAA Experience'' were held concurrently with the show. Presentation This was ...

. The front fascia features a

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

nose design. The battery electric model features an illuminated panel with a total of 142 illuminated chrome-effect stars and an illuminated star logo (depends on market-specific regulations), whereas the combustion-engine model has a traditional open grille needed for cooling airflow to the engine. The LED headlights are connected with a thin LED light strip and the optional MULTIBEAM LED headlights features the daytime running lights in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz star. For the side, there are frameless doors and retractable flushed door handles. Mercedes-Benz engineers have tried to make use of additional headroom compared to its predecessor with a less of an inward curve to the side windows. All CLA models feature as standard a fixed panoramic glass roof helps to contribute for additional headroom for the rear occupants. The rear fascia has a GT-inspired design. It has star shaped LED taillights connected with a light band with coming-home and leaving-home lighting animations, gloss black rear diffuser and the numberplate is housed on the rear bumper.

Interior

The third-generation CLA is the first car to operate entirely on the in-house developed Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) marks the fourth MBUX generation, which is the first in-car infotainment system to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) from both

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

and

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

. The MBUX Virtual Assistant based on ChatGPT4o, Google Gemini and

Microsoft Bing Microsoft Bing (also known simply as Bing) is a search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. The service traces its roots back to Microsoft's earlier search engines, including MSN Search, Windows Live Search, and Live Search. Bing offers a ...

. The interior has the MBUX Superscreen that has a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The infotainment system features a Zero Layer mode shows the essential controls and information on the home screen, like the most recently used apps. The navigation system is based on

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...

and the user interface from Mercedes-Benz. The MBUX Superscreen is also available with an additional 14-inch screen for the front passenger as an optional extra and the screen features eye-tracking technology to ensure the driver is not distracted. If not equipped with the front passenger screen, it is replaced with a glass panel with LED illuminated star logos matching the interior ambient lighting. The sedan model has a boot capacity of . The CLA with EQ Technology is the first Mercedes-Benz with a frunk of since the

Mercedes-Benz 130 From 1931 to 1939, Daimler-Benz AG produced three cars (Mercedes-Benz 130, 150 and 170 H) with rear engine as well as a few prototypes. Production numbers remained low for each of these models, especially compared with the production of convention ...

from the 1930s.

Safety

The third-generation CLA features a bundle of driver assistance systems under the name MB.DRIVE which includes: DRIVE ASSIST, DRIVE ASSIST PLUS, DRIVE ASSIST PRO, DRIVE PARKING ASSIST and DRIVE PARKING ASSIST 360. Technical details for the driving assistance systems include five radar sensors, eight cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a water-cooled supercomputers with regular over-the-air updates. For the first time in its segment, the CLA is available with a central airbag integrated into the driver’s seat backrest and deploys between the driver and front passenger in the event of a severe side impact.

Marketing

As part of the first generation CLA US product launch, a television commercial featuring

Kate Upton Katherine Elizabeth Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue c ...

was produced for, and premiered during the 4th quarter of

Super Bowl XLVII Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...

. Additional commercials titled 'Dishes', 'Jukebox', 'Sundae' were premiered during

. A TV commercial titled 'Soul', featuring a devil played by

Willem Dafoe William James "Willem" Dafoe ( ; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. Known for his prolific career portraying diverse roles in both mainstream and arthouse films, he is the recipient of various accolades including a Volpi Cup Award for ...

was also premiered during

. In a promotional campaign under the slogan "Untamed. The new CLA", a TV commercial titled 'Wolf' asks how it is possible to stand out from the crowd, when so many others are also striving for individuality – the answer is provided by the new CLA. The commercial was premiered until mid-March 2013 on all major German TV channels. The print materials show the 'style rebel' from a range of perspectives, which had appeared until mid-April 2013 in high-circulation news and business magazines, specialist motoring publications and special interest media under headings such as "Form: non-conformist" or "Untamed". The #Untamed was launched in February 2013, a digital photo installation inspired by the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, for which Mercedes-Benz will be exploiting the power of the popular social media photo platform Instagram. Users could to go to www.untamed-installation.com and upload the most unusual images from their personal Instagram photo stream to the multivdevice-compatible CLA campaign website. On the homepage, participants can see how individual their photos are, and the extent to which they stand out from the images captured by other participants. In accordance with the central theme of "The natural enemy of the ordinary", participants are encouraged to break free from the constraints of convention and demonstrate their creativity. A poster of the personal pictures can then be downloaded, sent by email or shared with friends via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Began in April 2013, these personal photos were digitally reworked and, together with the CLA, incorporated into an actual photo installation, to be presented to an international audience in Paris. The AMG CLA 45 first made its video game appearance in the 2014 PlayStation 4 video game ''

Driveclub ''Driveclub'' is a 2014 racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It was announced during the PlayStation 4 press conference on 20 February 2013, and, after several dela ...

''.

Reception

The CLA has been a controversial vehicle among Mercedes-Benz fans in North America due to its many differences from other Mercedes-Benz models. In contrast to most Mercedes models sold in the U.S., the CLA is small, based on a

platform, and powered exclusively by

four-cylinder engines The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

. Labeled by Mercedes-Benz as a new "gateway" into the Mercedes-Benz brand with sales "beyond our optimistic expectations", ''

Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...

'' rated the CLA as "140% worse than the average car" in the 2014 Annual Auto Reliability Survey. Despite the criticism, the CLA received praise worldwide from professional reviewers. The price, which starts from $30,000, has been the highlight for many reviewers. The front-wheel drive has been praised for giving the CLA a better fuel economy, which gives especially the CLA 250 a 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the road. The performance has also been praised, with , the CLA 250 accelerates from in 6.9 seconds. The coupe-like handling has been praised, which has been described as "quick and direct". The interior has been praised for making the CLA a more "youthful choice". Though the CLA is an entry-level car, professional reviewers agree that it still looks and feels like a proper Mercedes.

Sales

References

External links

Official website
{{Mercedes-Benz timeline 2020 to date CLA-Class Cars introduced in 2013 2020s cars Compact cars Sedans Station wagons Front-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles