Photo: SB-Medien
Mercedes was late to the compact car game but carved a new niche for itself with the ultra-powerful 2-liter AMG engine. Now it wants to take advantage of that reputation with models like the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake.
People are going to say that because this car only makes about 300 horsepower, it's diluting the AMG brand. But we strongly disagree. In fact, the practical version of the CLA 35 is probably our favorite upcoming baby Benz.
The only thing holding it back is that the A 45, the hardcore one, has drift mode, whereas this doesn't. But do you want to torture your tires that often in what's mostly a super-fast family car?
This prototype has everything it would need for production, including dual exhaust pipes and a body kit. The wheels are not the real deal, but we expected that from Mercedes - they're hiding the performance brakes. You also need to imagine this car in bright yellow or another racy paint scheme.
This system is more straightforward than the ones 45 AMG models will have. The 2-liter turbo has only one turbocharger and not a lot of help from electricity. It makes 306 HP and 400 Nm which in a 1.5-ton wagon is enough to get you from 0 to 100 km/h in about 5 seconds. So it's not much slower than the 45 Shooting Brake we tested a while back.
Its direct rival is the Golf R Variant, though you can go pretty fast in models from the segment above, like the 3 Series or C-Class. The only problem is that an M340i or C 43 costs a lot of money and drinks a lot of fuel.
But the thing that makes us fall in love with the car is its looks. Check out the normal CLA Shooting Brake we saw in Geneva, and you'll have a fair idea of what to expect.
The only thing holding it back is that the A 45, the hardcore one, has drift mode, whereas this doesn't. But do you want to torture your tires that often in what's mostly a super-fast family car?
This prototype has everything it would need for production, including dual exhaust pipes and a body kit. The wheels are not the real deal, but we expected that from Mercedes - they're hiding the performance brakes. You also need to imagine this car in bright yellow or another racy paint scheme.
This system is more straightforward than the ones 45 AMG models will have. The 2-liter turbo has only one turbocharger and not a lot of help from electricity. It makes 306 HP and 400 Nm which in a 1.5-ton wagon is enough to get you from 0 to 100 km/h in about 5 seconds. So it's not much slower than the 45 Shooting Brake we tested a while back.
Its direct rival is the Golf R Variant, though you can go pretty fast in models from the segment above, like the 3 Series or C-Class. The only problem is that an M340i or C 43 costs a lot of money and drinks a lot of fuel.
But the thing that makes us fall in love with the car is its looks. Check out the normal CLA Shooting Brake we saw in Geneva, and you'll have a fair idea of what to expect.
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