Review: Mercedes-Benz C117.I CLA-Class (2013-16)

Overview

Released in October 2013, the Mercedes-Benz C117 Series I (C117.I) CLA-Class was a compact sedan. Manufactured in Kecskemet, Hungary, the front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz CLA range initially consisted of the CLA 200, with the CLA 200 CDI and CLA 250 Sport 4MATIC following in February and July 2014, respectively. Shown in the table below, all of the turbocharged CLA engines had direct fuel injection, an ECO start/stop function (engine shutdown when the vehicle was stationary) and were compliant with Euro 6 emissions standards.

Please note that the Mercedes C117 CLA 45 AMG has been reviewed separately.

Mercedes-Benz C117.I CLA-Class specifications
	Years	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
CLA 200	2013-16	1.6-litre turbo petrol I4 (M270 DE16)	7sp DCT	115 kW at 5000 rpm	250 Nm at 1250-4000 rpm
CLA 200 CDI	2014	2.1-litre turbo-diesel I4 (OM651 DE18)	7sp DCT	100 kW at 3600-4400 rpm	300 Nm at 1600-3000 rpm
CLA 200 CDI	2014-16	2.1-litre turbo-diesel I4 (OM651 DE22)	7sp DCT	100 kW at 3200-4000 rpm	300 Nm at 1400-3000 rpm
CLA 250 Sport 4MATIC	2014-16	2.0-litre turbo petrol I4 (M270 DE20)	7sp DCT	155 kW at 5000 rpm	350 Nm at 1200-4000 rpm

Dimensions

Compared to the W246 B-Class with which it shared its platform, the CLA was 164 mm longer (at 4630 mm), 9 mm narrower (1777 mm) and 121 mm lower (1437 mm), though wheelbase length (2699 mm) was unchanged. Inside, the rear seat was regarded as a ‘2+1 seater’ as its design favoured the outer seats. Furthermore, the CLA had a drag coefficient of 0.23 Cd, setting a new record for series production automobiles.

Suspension and steering

The Mercedes-Benz CLA had MacPherson strut front suspension and independent, multi-link rear suspension with three control arms and one trailing arm per wheel.

The C117 CLA had Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Direct Steer’ electromechanical power steering system. The Direct Steer system enabled steering assistance functions to be activated by the electronic stability control system such as:

counter-steering in the event of over-steer;
corrective steering when braking on road surfaces offering different grip levels (split-friction braking);
mitigation of the extent to which the front-wheel drive influences the steering; and,
compensation of crosswind and road gradients.

4MATIC all-wheel drive

For the CLA 250 Sport, the Haldex all-wheel drive system utilised an electrohydraulically controlled multi-disc clutch which was integrated with the rear axle differential. In normal driving, torque was directly entirely to the front wheels for optimum efficiency. If slip was detected at the front wheels, however, a hydraulic pump would instantaneously press the clutch discs together to direct up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle (i.e. a 50:50 front:rear torque split). The all-wheel drive system provided a variable torque distribution, with the front:rear split determined by vehicle speed, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, steering angle, speed difference between the individual wheels, selected gear and accelerator position.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz C117 CLA included dual front airbags (two-stage), a driver’s knee airbag, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, blind spot monitoring (‘Blind Spot Assist’), driver fatigue monitoring (‘Attention Assist’) and front and outer rear seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. The CLA also had an ‘active’ bonnet which would rise prior to an anticipated pedestrian collision to cushion the pedestrian’s subsequent impact with the bonnet.

As standard, the CLA was also fitted with

Mercedes-Benz ‘Pre-Safe’ system which – in the event of an anticipated collision – automatically tensioned the front occupants’ seatbelts, closed the windows and sunroof and adjusted the front passenger seat position (if the memory package was fitted); and,
Collision Prevention Assist (radar-based collision warning with adaptive Brake Assist): operated at speeds between 7 km/h and 250 km/h, and could detect stationary objects when driving at speeds of up to 70 km/h. Collision Prevention Assist monitored the distance to the vehicle ahead, would provide visual and audible warning to the driver if there was a collision risk and would optimise braking power (adaptive Brake Assist) for when the driver depressed the brake pedal. At initial speeds of less than 20 km/h, Collision Prevention Assist could prevent rear-end collisions.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the Mercedes-Benz C117 CLA 200 received a five star safety rating which included a 91 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 75 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the offset crash test, occupant protection was generally assessed as good although chest protection was rated as adequate. Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test though, in the more severe pole test, chest protection was rated as marginal.

Under ANCAP’s methodology , this testing resulted in a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 36.16 out of 37.

Features: Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 and CLA 200 CDI

Standard features for the CLA 200 and CLA 200 CDI included 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/40 R17 runflat tyres, a six speaker Audio 20 sound system with a 14.7 cm colour display, a CD/DVD player with MP3/WMA/ACC compatibility, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB/iPod) and Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, a Becker ‘Map Pilot’ navigation system, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter (Speedtronic), synthetic leather seats (Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Artico’), bi-xenon headlights with integrated daytime LED running lights, a reversing camera with dynamic guidelines, automated parallel parking (‘Active Parking Assist’), rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, 40/60 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, power folding mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering column, ambient lighting, illuminated vanity mirrors, reading lights, tinted windows, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

Features: Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Sport

The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Sport was further equipped with 18-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels with 235/40 R17 conventional tyres (i.e. not run-flat tyres), lowered sports suspension, perforated front brake discs, power adjustable and heated front seats with memory settings, black ‘red cut’ leather seat upholstery, cornering lights and adaptive high beam assist (Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Intelligent light system), a flat-bottomed steering wheel, an automatically dipping passenger’s mirror on reverse, panoramic powered sunroof, contrasting red stitching, aluminium interior trim, rear privacy glass and an alarm system.

Visually, the CLA 250 Sport could be identified by its diamond grille with silver pins, black door mirrors and AMG bodystyling for the front and rear aprons and side sill panels.

Brochures

Specifications

Specifications: Mercedes-Benz C117 CLA-Class (June 2014)