Mercedes Benz India is going to launch the facelifted CLA tomorrow. The entry level sedan from German manufacturer is going to receive its first significant update since it was launched in 2015. The CLA facelift will only receive cosmetic updates, while the mechanicals of the car is expected to remain the same.
The front bumper of the new CLA is the first noticeable visual change. With the new bumper design, the CLA is now evenly matched with the Mercedes’ family face. The same goes for the rear bumpers, which now incorporates bigger chrome exhaust tips, and gloss finished black bumper inserts. The facelift CLA also gets newly designed alloy wheels.
The headlamp units are tweaked a bit with triangular projector housing and redesigned LED daytime-running lights. The tail lamps are reworked as well. The diamond finish grille, the coupe-ish profile with frameless doors are the trademark of the CLA which remains unchanged in the facelift.
The interiors are where the facelifted CLA has the most updates. The COMMAND infotainment system has been updated with the latest connectivity software like Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The centre console and the instrument cluster is also updated. The car will also have a new leather upholstery with contrast stitching.
The features in the new CLA will include standard airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control system, engine immobiliser, cruise control, rear-view camera, electrically foldable wing mirrors, leather seat upholstery, and rain sensing wipers to name a few.
The drivetrain of the CLA facelift remains unchanged, so the sedan continues to be powered by the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine producing 134bhp of power and 300Nm of torque, or the 2.0-litre petrol unit producing 181bhp and 300Nm. Both the engines are mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission.
The AMG variant of the CLA is expected to follow later. It will have a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine under the hood, which produces 355bhp and 450Nm mated to an AMG spec seven-speed DSG and has a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.
When launched in India, the CLA facelift is expected to have a slight increase in the price tag. The entry level sedan from Mercedes-Benz competes directly with the Audi A3 in the Indian market.
