Time is money, the old adage goes. But how
much money, exactly? According to AMG, one-tenth of one second is worth
$12,350. That’s the difference between hitting 60 mph in 4.5 seconds in the new
$48,375 CLA45 AMG and getting there one solitary tenth sooner in the $60,725
C63 AMG.
That isn’t the whole story. In fact, it’s
not even a footnote. Lift the CLA’s hood and you’ll see a little plaque bearing
the signature of the technician responsible for bolting the powertrain
together, same as in bigger AMGs. But in this case, the engine beneath is a
transversely mounted, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, not the traditional V-8 or
V-12. Stifle that groan! At 355 hp, the direct-injected four produces the most
horsepower per liter of any production car save the McLaren P1. Factor in 332
lb-ft of torque, and you have more than enough go to overcome the CLA’s
3494-pound weight. Zero-to-100-mph acceleration, in a Mercedes-claimed 10
seconds, isn’t far off of AMG’s big hitters.
The
CLA45 AMG is a junior CLS in looks but is a restyled A45 AMG in reality
Tuners working with Mitsubishis and Subarus
have been extracting that kind of power from similar displacements for years,
you say. But not with this level of civility, and certainly not with such
disdain for gas stations. EPA fuel-economy figures aren’t yet final, but the
CLA achieves 33 mpg in the same European tests that rate the 6.2-liter C63 AMG
at 20 mpg.
It even sounds like a pocket AMG should.
Pull both shift paddles toward you to engage launch control, and the motor pops
away with turbo fuss before erupting down the road with just enough wheelspin
to keep the engine in its sweet spot. More volume would be welcome,
though—consider the optional sport exhaust mandatory.
The
good-looking cabin is also familiar from the A45 AMG
Given the engine’s power and diminutive
size, turbo lag is impressively absent. But also missing is a bit of the
unhinged feel we expect from a hot Benz. This is a very different vibe from
other AMGs—think fast Audi but better. As with VW’s Haldex all-wheel-drive
system, the CLA45 (non-AMG CLAs are front-wheel drive) operates as a
front-drive car in normal conditions, shifting a maximum of 50 per cent of
torque rearward when the front rubber yells for help. Power oversteer and
150-yard burnouts are out, then.
That’s not to say the CLA45 isn’t fun. It
drives like a really well-sorted hot hatch. AMG scrounged enough money from
Mercedes to develop new rear suspension and new uprights in front. The car also
gets a constant-ratio steering rack, because AMG R&D boss Tobias Moers
doesn’t like the standard CLA’s variable gearing. The weighting and response of
that new steering means it feels good in your hands, even if road feel isn’t
high up on its résumé. Direction changes are brisk considering the weight, and
roll is well-controlled.
The
355bhp powerplant is a highly tuned turbocharged 2.0-litre unit
You can even get the car to misbehave if
you’re brutal, at least on the track. Find enough space, go in hot, back off,
and you can adopt all sorts of amusing angles. On the road, the CLA is an
eventual understeerer, although Moers says development tests on an apex-hugging
limited-slip differential will have started by the time you read this.
The rest of the package mirrors the highs
and lows of other CLAs. Despite the (relative) budget pricing, interior quality
matches that of Benzes costing twice as much. Space does not. It’s fine up
front, but rear headroom is almost nonexistent. The seven- speed dual-clutch
automatic, with the regular CLA’s column shifter swapped for a stumpy control
on the tunnel, occasionally waits before giving you the downshift you’ve asked
for. And the CLA’s ride is firmer than a Buddhist’s bed. The A-class platform
doesn’t have a provision for adaptive dampers, and while the ride was
acceptable on typically perfect German roads, it might not be so hot
negotiating craters in New York.
The
boot is fairly cavernous and holds up to 470 litres of luggage
This is a very different sort of AMG, one
designed to appeal to a new, younger customer. If you’ve been weaned on a diet
of front-drive cars, you’ll love it. Few buyers will cross-shop it with the
rest of the AMG range, but it’s still worth noting that this is no substitute
for the C63 four-door or coupe. Fast, feelsome, and, like the best AMGs, a
little bit feral, that rear-drive, V-8-powered car is simply on a different
plane. That 0.1-second advantage is a mere foot soldier in the army of reasons
to scrape together the extra $12,000.
