Mercedes-Benz CLA facelift revealed, set for NY debut

The A-Class has undergone a facelift, and now it’s the turn of the CLA and its wagon derivative. Mercedes-Benz has revealed the CLA and CLA Shooting Brake facelift ahead of their respective debuts at the New York International Auto Show later this month, and the Laureus World Sports Awards in Berlin in April 17. Both will reach the first dealerships in July.

First up is a new bumper with a trim strip on the lip that will be in silver, black or chrome. The red car you see here is an AMG Line car, while the Shooting Brake shows off the new regular bumper. They’re similar in looks to the ones on the A-Class facelift. All CLA models now have a diamond radiator grille in black as standard.

At the back, the rear bumper is now optionally available with a panel incorporating a trim strip in chrome or black (Night package) between the tailpipes. The tailpipe trim panels themselves are now integrated flush into the bumper, adding visual width to the vehicle.

Merc says that the range of available wheels has been significantly extended. There is now a choice of five 18-inch alloys, including one in a new five-twin-spoke design for AMG Line. This is available in two colours – painted black or titanium grey, with a high-sheen finish. Cavansite blue metallic is a new exterior paint colour addition.

No big changes inside, which gets things such as new seat covers and trim parts, as well as chrome-plated controls. A slimmer-looking freestanding eight-inch screen with a new-style glass cover is available as an option for the Audio 20 USB and Audio 20 CD systems.

New-style dials and red needles are easier to read. To inject some class into the cabin, silver chrome finish has been sprinkled on the controls, fascia, door switches and centre console. The C-Class-style steering wheel came into the CLA picture last year, replacing the sharper-spoked original item.

New trim packs include a sail-look finish, matte black ash wood (Exclusive package), black Dinamica microfibre (optional for AMG Line) or aluminium with honeycomb grain.

There is also a revised range of seat covers: for the Exclusive package there’s optional leather in sahara beige/black, while the Urban line is now available with a combination of Artico synthetic leather/Maringa fabric in crystal grey or black, the latter with white or blue highlights. Like the Shooting Brake, the CLA now also features a coat hook on the grab handle above each rear side window.

The CLA welcomes some newly available items such as “LED High Performance” headlamps and Hands-Free Access. The latter allows the boot lid or tailgate to be opened (CLA and CLA SB) and even closed (Shooting Brake only) without any physical contact. All it takes is a motion of the foot in the area of the rear bumper. Both are optional.

The enhanced Smartphone Integration system allows the integration and voice-operated control of iPhones and Android smartphones via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Selected functions can be operated using the vehicle controls, allowing safe use even while on the move. Optional.

The CLA family gets a new efficiency champion in the CLA 180 d BlueEfficiency Edition. This 1.5 litre turbodiesel with 109 hp/260 Nm is manual-only and uses just 3.5 litres of diesel per 100 km, while CO2 emissions is comfortable below 100 at 89 g/km. The new CLA 220 4Matic expands the choice for fans of AWD. Its 2.0 litre turbo petrol motor delivers 184 hp/300 Nm. The 7G-DCT gearbox is standard for this one. No change for the CLA 200 that we get.

The Shooting Brake gets a new variant. The CLA 180 BlueEfficiency Edition is powered by a 1.6 litre engine with 122 hp and 200 Nm, capable of 5.5 litres per 100 km. This engine has only been available for the coupe prior to this. The hot Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 has also been updated, and you can read all about the 381 hp little beast here.

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