Story & photos by Randy S. Peregrino
AUTO Nation Group, the official distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the Philippines, is on a roll with their latest models.
Recently, it was turn for a model that features a sporty yet elegant and a coupé profile—the all-new CLA 180 Progressive variant. This second-generation CLA, known for its exciting and sporty design, boasts of a sleeker, sportier and techier character, from its emotional design. What is more, it now comes with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system—revolutionizing a new era of the Mercedes-Benz driving and riding experience.
We couldn’t agree more with Daimler AG Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener with what he has to say about the styling. “As a four-door coupé, the new CLA intrigues with its purist, seductive profile and brings the design DNA of ‘sensual purity’ to a new level. It is compelling for its perfect proportions, which are very close to the initial design sketches: a long, stretched bonnet, a compact greenhouse, a wide track with flared wheel arches and our typical GT rear end with a pronounced ‘Coke-bottle shoulder,’” he said.
At a glance, the all-new CLA possesses that distinguished coupé and sporty design, which makes it the most emotive vehicle in its class. That’s because the design underlines that coupé character with stretched form and design elements like the bonnet with powerdomes. It also has LED high-performance headlamps with daylight running lamps. These complement the low-slung bonnet and the diamond grill. All these elements formed the vehicle’s sporty face clearly echoing that classic Mercedes-Benz sports cars.
The fresh rear end design, meantime, has new sets of narrow-designed tail lamps. The lower bumper is highlighted with matte black bottom panels and further accentuated with chrome exhaust tips and lining. Now the vehicle possesses a flatter and sportier stance complementing its 18-inch multi-spoke light alloy wheels. Its combined stretched entry line above the windows and frameless doors give the all-new CLA that unmistakable sporty and elegant character.
Inside, all elements are arranged according to the overarching design themes of “high tech” and “youthful avant-garde.” From the leather multi-function steering wheel and new touchpad, to the Artico-leather seats and other design enhancements in the dashboard. The driver seat is electrically adjusted and has three memory functions to easily toggle through those preset driving positions. Those familiar five round air vents inspired by the world of aviation feature a high-grade turbine look with finely styled air ducts.
Space-wise, the all-new CLA now has tangibly more space everywhere inside. The front section, for example, has increased the headroom by 17 mm and elbow room by 35 mm. Moreover, the boot compartment now has a wider opening (+262 mm) and now offers more convenient to load compared to its predecessor. Aside from more space and storage, the all-new CLA also offers comfy seats with cushions adjustable for depth and angle, plus a 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat backrest.
As seen in the latest models of the A-Class and the GLE, the new CLA showcases the latest generation of the MBUX infotainment system with two 7-inch digital screens for the instrument cluster and the media display. At the heart of this system is a highly intelligent virtual assistant, which is activated by pressing a button in the steering wheel or by simply saying, “Hey Mercedes.” It responds via voice commands in performing infotainment functions, such as destination input, music selection, climate control and ambient lighting.
Interestingly, the MBUX comes with a natural speech recognition program. This enables the system to recognize and understand nearly all sentences from the fields of multimedia and vehicle operation. Further, the system allows individualization that makes the vehicle an extension of oneself.
Under the hood of the all-new CLA 180 Progressive variant is a small yet potent 1.3-liter, in-line four-cylinder, turbocharged gasoline engine. Impressively, it generates 136 hp at 5,500 rpm and a substantial 200 N-m of maximum torque starting at 1,460 rpm. This is the same motor fitted in the B-Class 180 Progressive variant. It is paired to 7G-DCT seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
Safety-wise, the all-new CLA is also loaded with world-class features. Active parking assist with rear-view camera, active brake assist, adaptive brake lights, anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability program (EPS), acceleration skid control, and hill-start assist, among others. It’s also equipped with a Pedestrian Protection Active bonnet, as well as multiple air bags for the driver and front passenger, including window bags and knee bag for the driver.
The all-new CLA 180 Progressive variant is priced at P3.19 million. It is available in Polar White, Digital White, Night Black, Mountain Gray, Denim Blue, Sun Yellow, Jupiter Red, Mojave Silver and Cosmos Black colors. To know more about the all-new CLA 180 Progressive variant, you may also access https://www.mercedes-benz.ph.
Image credits: Randy S. Peregrino