Blurred Lines
The times we live in, things have changed. As the prices of cars soar, more people are looking for cars that can meet their needs, yet satisfy their wants. There are now station wagons like the Audi RS6 Avant, which we tested a while ago, which changes the supercar game, and then there are coupes with four doors. The Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 is one of these. To most, we’d simply identify it as a small compact sedan. Right maybe, but our drive in one tells of another story.
You know when you are in a front driven car when facing the corners, and getting yourself some understeer. Overall, the CLA handles with a good deal of point and shoot accuracy. Steering response is extremely sharp, even in “Comfort Mode”, in “Sports Mode”, the reactivity of the electric power steering goes up a notch.
While the drive modes toggle steering and transmission response, the suspension in the 200 is a non-electromagnetic, standard steel and damper setup, and does come across a little firm, but partially due to the short wheelbase of the car, the effect of the firmer suspension feels amplified.
Power comes from a 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, pushing out a respectable 154bhp at 5,300rpm, maximum torque of 250Nm begins at 1,250rpm and holds it till 4,000rpm. There is a little bit of turbo lag experienced when crawling through traffic, torque delivery is rapid, but not overly sudden. Cog swopping is done via a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
Opening up the taps on the CLA 200, reveals a very satisfactory surge of torque, but once past the 4,000rpm mark, you will feel the engine going slightly flat. It also does get raspy once past 3,500rpm, intruding into the cabin. With a century sprint of 7.9 seconds, the CLA still returns a respectable combined 17.9km/l.
But what you can appreciate about the CLA is how rigid the chassis is, where multiple directional changes do not unsettle it.
If you want a little bit of fun, while you drive and there is some good loose change, but you do not want to lose sight of trying to stay practical. The CLA is really the car with that near sweet spot.
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