Car and Driver - USA (2019-10)

84

New Cars for 20 20

. CHARTING THE CHANGES. CAR AND DRIVER. OCT/2019

Mini

—

Clubman: The John Cooper

Works (JCW) has a new engine

for 2020. The turbo 2.0-liter

four makes 302 horsepower,

a staggering 74 more than

the four-cylinder in last year’s

JCW Clubman. All-wheel drive

Mercedes-Benz
—
CLA-class: The interior takes
a great leap forward with
the new MBUX infotainment
system and standard digital
instrumentation. An all-new
front-drive platform shared
with the A-class increases
rear-seat space, and the car’s
turbo 2.0-liter four makes 221
ponies, 33 more than it does
in the lesser Benz. The CLA35,
packing a 302-hp inline-four,
is destined for our shores, as
is the 382-hp CLA45. There’s a
chance the CLA45 S, in 416-hp
trim, could make it here, too.
—
E-class: The E300 sedan
becomes the E350. Its numeri-
cally greater name is due to its
new turbo 2.0-liter inline-four,
which makes 255 horse-
power, 14 more than before.
Otherwise, the E-class lineup
remains largely the same.
—
EQC: Benz is taking a safe
approach to the electric-car
market with the EQC, basing
it on the gas-powered GLC.
Mercedes altered that model’s
structure to accommodate a
93.2-kWh battery in the floor
and two electric motors (one
up front, another in back).
Little inside is shared with
the GLC, which is good
because the EQC’s edgy cabin
design is a welcome foil to the
bland exterior. Range should
fall between the Audi e-tron’s
204 miles and the Jaguar
I-Pace’s 234.
—
GLB-class: Shouldering its
way into the Mercedes lineup
between the subcompact GLA-
class and the compact GLC,
this new SUV is pretty much
a CLA underneath, albeit with
a 4.0-inch-longer wheelbase.
The available 4Matic all-wheel-
drive system is bolstered by
software that will help the GLB
conquer the sandbox. A 221-hp
turbocharged 2.0-liter four is
the only engine, and it comes
paired with an eight-speed
dual-clutch automatic. The

GLB also offers a third row, but

it’s functionally just for kids.

—

GLC-class: Every 2020 GLC

gets an updated interior and

wears fresh headlights and

taillights. The GLC300 receives

a 255-hp turbocharged

2.0-liter inline-four, while the

GLC43’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter

V-6 gains 23 horsepower for

a total of 385. AMG models

add an optional drive-mode

—

GLE-class: Along with its

chunky styling and dimen-

brings a load of new safety

headlined by the E-Active

on a 48-volt subsystem, this

active suspension can lean

the GLE into turns or bounce

the vehicle to help it extricate

itself from sand or snow.

The lineup’s base model,

the GLE350, uses—surprise,

surprise—a 255-hp turbo four.

The next-step-up GLE450 is

fitted with M-B’s hybridized

horsepower. The higher-out-

put GLE580 gets the same

hybrid setup but trades the

inline-six for a twin-turbo V-8;

total system power stands

at a wholly unnecessary 504

ponies. A 429-hp AMG GLE53

will arrive later as a 2021.

—

GLS-class: The new interior

Mercedes-Benz A-class: A late-2019-model-

year addition to the Mercedes lineup, the

all-new A-class usurps the CLA as the least expensive

Benz. The entry-level A220 is powered by a 188-hp

turbocharged 2.0-liter four driving either the front

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all-wheel-drive A35 with 302 horsepower, also from

a 2.0-liter. The A45 promises to up the ante consider-

ably: Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder is even more stressed

and may be cranked up as high as 416 horsepower.

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performance, with the A35 starting around $45,000

and the A45 opening at about $54,000.

MERCEDES-AMG A35

down by the one-size-smaller

GLE, with squared-off air

vents, the MBUX infotainment

system, and a relentlessly

luxurious vibe. A 2.3-inch

wheelbase stretch opens up

the second row, and for the

first time, that bench can be

swapped for a pair of captain’s

chairs. The GLS450 employs

a 362-hp turbo inline-six, and

the GLS580 uses a 483-hp

twin-turbo V-8, both with

hybridization. The GLE’s

body-rocking active suspen-

sion is also available here,

though the regular air-spring

setup is so composed, it

seems totally unnecessary.

—

Minor trim changes: AMG

GT 4-Door, C-class, CLS-class,

G-class, S-class, SL-class, SLC-

class, Sprinter

Unchanged: GLA-class,

Maybach S-class, Metris