Updated CLA welcomes in Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

Unveiled in 2012 at the Chinese Auto Show and with over a million units sold, the CLA is a sporty design that appeals to a much younger audience.

Mercedes has just released an updated version with some new styling elements and a few interior upgrades.
The exterior sees a few changes upfront with a new bumper and splitter, the addition of LED headlights and a new grille with diamond shapes. The side profile sees new wheels for all models and packages and around the back there is a redesigned bumper that incorporates a new exhaust system and the rear window flows into the short overhang of the boot to emphasise the coupe’ styling that has seen the CLA voted the most beautiful car in the world.

The interior has also seen the addition of a number of new features. Most notable of these is the prominent eight inch screen that serves as the interface of the entertainment system and vehicle controls. For the very observant, you can also see new lettering on the gauge cluster. A bevy of materials are available to customize your CLA, from wood and carbon fibre to brushed aluminium and piano black ,you can have an interior finish that suits you.

We had the option of a number of vehicles to test during the facelift launch.
These included the CLA 200, CLA 200d,CLA220d, CLA250 Sport 4Matic and AMG CLA 45 4Matic.

All the vehicles were a treat to drive and we were able to sample all of them on the road and on the track. The new CLA 200d features a new engine that produces 100kW and 300Nm, which was more than enough to make for some spirited driving.

My pick of the litter would have to be the CLA 250 Sport 4Matic as this provided the most exhilarating drive while still being civil enough for the streets. The AMG CLA 45 4M seemed somewhat brutish at first and did not disappoint on track and if you could live with a little bit of road noise and a hefty fuel bill it might just be for you.

The diesel variants proved to be the most consumer friendly and I have to admit I was listening for the typical diesel rattle and was surprised to find none what so ever. Although not as racey as their counterparts the diesel versions provide the best value for money, balancing elegant interiors, well styled exteriors and excellent performance figures.

Base pricing falls around the half a million rand mark and if you want one of the all wheel drive or AMG versions you can expect to add another two the three hundred thousand to that. Keep in mind that you would still need to spec and customize your CLA and you can very easily find yourself at the million rand crevice.

I should however stress that you are definitely getting what you pay for with the CLA, it is a brilliant car that is easy on the eye and the sales numbers don’t lie.

Mercedes-Benz has sold plenty of cars this year and are currently sitting 1000 units ahead of BMW and that takes some doing when you see the current new vehicle sales statistics, they make for gloomy reading.

CLA 200	-  R 449 900
CLA 200d	-  R 481 900
CLA 220d	-  R 519 900
CLA 250 Sport 4Matic	-  R 631 900
AMG CLA 45 4Matic	-  R 832 900