30 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
Δ four-wheel drive, as does the mid-
range CLA 220 petrol. Otherwise, all
CLAs are front drive only.
INTERIOR
AAABC
The CLA’s cabin has all the material
and technical razzmatazz of its
compact Mercedes contemporaries,
so it makes a strong first impression
a s y ou s e t t le i n t o it s ne on-l it ,
luxurious-feeling ambience.
Sporty-looking seats with
integrated head restraints feature
in both rows, and although most
testers would have preferred
separate, adjustable headrests in
principle, none complained about
the positioning of those afforded,
or the general comfort and support
of the seats. The driving position is
ergonomically fine and its control
layout – while slightly different from
the wider saloon norm thanks to a
column-mounted gear selector stalk
and a fascia-mounted electronic
handbrake switch – doesn’t take long
to become intuitive.Despite the car’s swooping profile,
it’s cleverly packaged enough up
front that – even with a panoramic
sunroof fitted – our test car made
mor e t h a n s u f f ic ie nt he a d r o om
for a 6ft 3in driver. However, in the
narrowness of its interior and with a
driving position that seats you ever
so slightly perched and bent-legged
at the controls, the CLA doesn’t
feel quite as roomy or recumbently
configured as is typical of executive
saloons in general. Here more than
perhaps anywhere else, the car does
allow its hatchback-derived roots to
show through.
W ide r pr a c t ic a l it y i s go o d i n s ome
respects and quite disappointing in
others. The second row is one you’d
only really consider squeezing two
occupants into – and they wouldn’t
be likely to be fully grown adults.
Space for six-footers is tighterthan the class average for heads
and legs and the oversized interior
door handles are so big that taller
occupants can quite easily – and
painfully – trap an outboard knee
between them and the front seatback
while swinging the door closed.
A large boot is the sweetener you
get in return for being prepared to
s u f fe r t h at s e c ond r ow. A t 4 6 0 l it r e s ,
it’s roomier even than the one you’ll
f i nd i n t he muc h l a r ge r L e x u s E S.
PERFORMANCE
AAACC
Mercedes’ 221bhp, 258lb ft 2.0-litre
turbo engine and its seven-speeddual-clutch gearbox combine to
business-like effect when you want
to get the CLA 250 moving in a hurry.
In needing less than seven seconds to
hit 60mph from rest, and little more
than six to get from 30mph to 70mph
t h r ou g h t he ge a r s , it i s v e r y ne a rl y a s
quick as the last Skoda Octavia vRS
w e p e r for m a nc e t e s t e d (a 2 42bhp
e s t at e i n 2 017). I f a ny t h i n g, it c ou ld
u s e mor e f r ont- d r i v e n t r a c t ion t h a n
the 18in wheels and 225-section
Hankook Ventus tyres make – and
if it had some, it might even have got
down near the 6.5sec 0-60mph mark.
Quite disappointingly, though, ◊
Adaptive multibeam LED
headlights with adaptive
high beam come on Premium
Plus cars only. We had scant
opportunity to test them but
the dance routine they do on
start-up is interesting.
HEADLIGHTS
Positioning of pedals and
steering column is beyond
reproach: both are oriented
dead centre with the driver’s
seat and the steering
column adjusts quite widely.
PARKING
DIMENSIONS
z Driving position is a little less low and straight-legged than we’d like but is
otherwise fine. Fixed and integrated headrests of sports seats are a potential irritant.z Both head and leg room are a bit mean in the second row compared with compact
saloon standards. Both are all right for kids, of course.
Typical leg room
670mm
Height 490mm
Width 840-1400mm
Length 1040-1790mm
z There’s 460 litres of space in the boot, which is probably more than you’ll need in
what is effectively a pretty tight four-seater. It’s enough for several suitcases.
2729mm
Kerb weight: 1490kg
4688mm
(^14)
(^39)
m
m
927mm 1032mm
112
0 m
m^
ma
x
67
0 m
m
86
0 m
m
95
0 m
m
m
ax
460 litres
0.23
2010mm (with mirrors)
3690mm
Typical parking space width (2400mm)
T
y
p
ic
a
l
g
a
ra
g
e
(^) h
e
ig
h
t
(^17)
9
0
m
m
175mm
40mm
Centre
WHEEL AND PEDAL
ALIGNMENT
Weights and measures