Transcription
Hey, what's up guys, and welcome to the channel!
Now, today we've got an exclusive opportunity to see the new CLA facelift! So, there's the CLA Coupe here and the CLA Shooting Brake side by side, which is amazing! So, we've got loads of stuff to run through, of course, in the exterior, the interior, and towards the end of the video, there's even a test drive as well!
[Music]
Now, guys, just before starting on the exterior and covering some of the differences on there, I thought I'd cover the OTR price first. So, starting on the coupe, just over there, that's starting from £34,500, and then this Shooting Brake, just here, almost like a stylish estate, is starting from about £35,500. So, about a £1k difference between the two. Of course, prices are correct at the time of recording, so obviously double-check with your local Mercedes when you enquire into one.
Now, let's have a look at some differences on the exterior!
Now, guys, if you're looking at the CLA Coupe and Shooting Brake and thinking, "What's different? It looks exactly the same..." Well, you wouldn't be wrong in thinking that because, at a first glance, it literally does! Remember, this is a facelift, so a facelift is like a mid-cycle upgrade. So, you have to look really, really closely to see the changes! And some of the big changes are on the inside, which I'll cover in a minute.
So, exterior first, of course, we've got this new grille here. This is following the design of a lot of Mercedes-Benz at the moment with these tiny Mercedes-Benz stars. I think I remember counting them once, and there was like 250 or 270 on the front, so yeah, quite a few! And then, of course, we've got these new lights as well. So, these are slightly different, and I will say the CLA itself does have a very, like, aggressive, angular stance. It looks really angry!
So, couple of changes on the exterior, let's have a look at the differences between the Coupe and the Shooting Brake. And as I was researching, getting all my kind of facts and figures, a stat really, really shocked me! Now, the thing that was really, really surprising was when I was researching and checking out the sizes of these two cars, and you would assume that the Shooting Brake is the larger one of the two. And that's actually where you'd be wrong because the Coupe and the Shooting Brake are pretty much exactly the same size! And when I say "pretty much," it's not the stat you're thinking of. So, let's cover length: it's 4,692mm for both cars! And you're thinking, "Hang on, that's a Coupe and that's a Shooting Brake?" Mercedes-Benz trickery, I guess! The width is 1,999mm again for both cars, so yeah, no wider or no longer. But the height is what's different, and it's a 3mm difference. So, if you're after a larger boot and don't want to go bigger in a car, Shooting Brake! That's pretty cool!
Speaking of, let's look at the boots. So, starting on the Coupe first. Now, the Coupe is actually 440L. Now, apart from the opening, the opening is kind of a little bit small just because it has a slopy roof, which is actually where the name "Coupe" comes from. A lot of people kind of assume that the word "Coupe" means two-door, but it's actually referring to the roofline, kind of the way it kind of slopes down. So, that's why you have a small opening here, but the boot's actually quite big! Because despite it being like, kind of having a small opening, you would assume the boot kind of ends like here or somewhere, but it actually ends like way up over this area. So, it actually goes back quite a long way, so you could get like a couple of large suitcases in there easily. It's just the opening, it's like a little bit smaller, but you can still fit it in. There's a tiny bit of space just underneath here as well, just in case you wanted to store anything underneath. Of course, it's only small, but the main majority of the boot is literally on the on the top part here. Of course, you can fold the seats down as well, 40:20:40 as per usual.
So, with that in mind, what about the larger boot in the Shooting Brake? And speaking of the larger boot, this one is 485L and most importantly, is fully electric. So, the CLA Coupe, of course, is electrically releasing, so you can do it off the key or the driver's door or the badge on the back. But you have to pull it down, whereas with the CLA Shooting Brake, it's all electric! Just like this here, and of course, you can stop it and program it at different heights as well, which is pretty cool! In terms of the actual boot, it's 485L as mentioned. Little bit of space underneath as well, just in case you need to put anything out of sight. Of course, it is still a little bit small, but the main chunk of it is at the top. Tiny bit of storage there. Now, one good thing, because this is a Shooting Brake, you can pull the boot cover across like this, just to stop any prying eyes looking at the contents on the inside. And one press goes back, just like that! So, pretty neat! Of course, you can fold the seats down as well, 40:20:40 split as usual.
Speaking of.... let's have a look at those!
Okay, so rear seats. Now, regular viewers to my channel will know I always set this seat up for my driving position, then sit behind myself. So, currently, right now, yes, it is quite close. But then again, I could move that a little bit further forward and still drive comfortably if I wasn't sitting by myself. And context for people who are new to my channel (obviously, thanks for watching for a start!), but I do have naturally long legs. So, naturally, uh, yes, if I sit behind myself, I I will have this. In terms of headroom, of course, it is a CLA Coupe, so the roof does slope down quite a bit, but that's part of the style. So, above my head, I can get, I'd probably say about a finger width just above my head. So, it it's quite close. I don't think I've actually sat in the back of a CLA Shooting Brake, so we'll sit in that one in a second. This, of course, is the Coupe. I'd imagine it's similar, but I could be wrong. We'll check it out in a second. But yeah, in terms of other bits in the back, of course, we've got the frameless windows, which is quite nice when the doors open. USB-C port just down here, which is actually illuminated now, which is quite good. And then vents just here in case passengers want to adjust their ventilation. And I imagine.... yeah, cup holders. Mercedes-Benz fancy cup holders on the side there. But yeah, I think that's pretty much everything in the rear. Of course, you've got nets on the sides. So, yeah, I could sit behind myself. I could move that further forward as well. But then again, if you want more legroom, check out like a C-Class Estate or C-Class Coupe, which is a two-door. Which is actually being replaced by the CLE Coupe coming out next year, so. I haven't actually seen that one yet, so I don't know what the space is like in the back, but of course, I will test it out! But yeah, if you need a little bit more space in the rear, have a look at some of Mercedes-Benz's other models. C-Class range and E-Class range are probably the best ones to have a look at.
Right, before looking at the front, where all the changes have happened, let's check out the the Shooting Brake really quickly and just see if there's any differences with headroom and space in the back. And then, very quickly, the Shooting Brake. So, yeah, first thing I noticed straight away is there is more headroom here. So, I guess it's kind of obvious when you look at the CLA Coupe, it slopes down so much. But yeah, in terms of actual space, let's have a look. So, it's like three, three finger widths above my head. So, yeah, that was one, and this is three, so there's definitely more more room in here. In terms of, I guess, rear space for legroom, I think it's exactly the same. Again, I could move that seat forward, that's set up for my position, and there's other larger models in Mercedes, like I said, C-Class / E-Class, if you if you needed the extra space in the back. So, not a deal breaker on there.... Yeah, everything else is exactly the same, same vents, USB-C ports, storage there, and cup holders there. So, yeah, everything else is the same. So, the only difference really is the larger boot and more headroom in the... in the back.
So, without going through both cars up front, because they're going to be exactly the same, I'm going to jump in the CLA Coupe for this one and just show you the differences on the multimedia systems and the few facelift changes at the front.
Right, now guys, so facelift changes on the front. So, first things first, no touchpad here. This is just a storage area now, and the actual screen is operated via touchscreen. So, you literally just swipe that and right and tap on things. You can do it on the steering wheel as well if you want to. Now, I have actually reviewed my own car recently. I did a 2,000-mile review, and one of the questions that were asked was, "Did you miss the touchpad?" And I did use it personally, but I mean, you just use the touchscreen now, so you kind of get used to it, so I don't think it's much of an issue. In terms of other things, this area, because it's been changed slightly, the Dynamic Select switch is now here. So, it used to be like a toggle switch. And there's also Park Assist here, which is now back on CLA. So, yes, you can do parallel parking and bay parking as well! So, I'll pop a link in the pop-out banner if you want to check that one out. Everything else, though, in terms of the main setup, is exactly the same. Ambient lighting has got some new colours built in / different like themes. Multimedia system is different, and the steering wheel is different, but the kind of screen layouts and climate control and various buttons and things like that are all going to be roughly in the same place. And yes, you saw the flashing just then, some cars now even have blind-spot assist, which is pretty cool! There's obviously someone behind me over there, but yeah, there's blind-spot assist now, which is actually really good because not only is it really useful on a motorway or dual carriageway. If, for example, I go to get out of the car and there's a bike coming, which would be would be rather odd if it was in the showroom, but if you're out on the road, parked on the road, for example, and you go to open the door, it can flash and beep at you to let you know that there's something coming. So, really, really useful! All these safety things that cars have these days. We'll touch on the steering wheel in a second. Let's go through the multimedia system.
So, multimedia system is known internally in the world of Mercedes from what I've heard is called NTG 7. So, this is the newer version. Features more commands on the voice assistant, wireless Apple CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto, and most importantly, it's full screen now. So, it's not the cropped 4:3 kind of experience before, just because there were like two screen sizes, a 7" and a 10.25". You can only get this multimedia system in one screen size now, which ultimately means CarPlay is one screen size, which is great! Now, a quick glance, of course, it will look like exactly the same thing. All the icons are pretty much there. The keen eye, you'll notice when you go onto Sat Nav, for example, you'll notice that the "Where to?" button is now on the top left as opposed to on the bottom. So, a few changes on there. And there's various other specs and things you can get to add things like Augmented Reality on Mercedes-Benz's Premium packages and things, so it can add like really cool overlaid arrows on the Sat Nav when you're driving around. That's pretty cool! But yeah, most of the functionality will be in pretty much the same place. It's just a few menu tweaks in a few places and a few extra safety systems, and of course, the wireless CarPlay additions and that sort of thing, and of course, the full screen.
So, let's have a look and talk about this new steering wheel. Now, I just wanted to do a quick piece on the steering wheel just because it's completely different to before. So, if you had the previous car before, there were like individual touchpads, little square ones either side, and they controlled each screen, and then the the rest of it were buttons. Now, it's all touch. So, for me, having used my own car with the same steering wheel, which I absolutely love the design of, having used it for, I think it's three, three and a half months now, three and a half months. I'm actually fine. You you do get used to the exact swipe you need to do to change it, and you can do it perfectly every time. Obviously, just try it out like a test drive and that sort of thing if you pop into like your local Mercedes! So, yeah, there's a few changes here on the CLA. Of course, the majority of it will be quite familiar with a few people, but a few upgrades and changes in a few places, so yeah!
The only thing to do now is take a CLA for a drive. And sadly, there isn't one available here at my local Mercedes at Sandown Mercedes, but I want to give them a huge shout out to allowing me to come in and film these two, the Coupe and the Shooting Brake, because it's quite good to have them side by side. However, we've got the test drive, and that one is by Mercedes-Benz themselves in a couple of days' time.
So, guys, here I am at, well, well, I've got to say, a very, very special place. This is almost like an American-inspired diner where Mercedes-Benz have got, well, loads of cars for test drive! So, this is the CLA that we're focusing on today. Let's take it for a drive!
So, instantly, this is the CLA 220d, and we'll go through some of these different engines that are available in the UK on the drive. So, as with all Mercedes-Benz, they have the gearstick up here. Let's go!
Now, guys, what's obviously really cool with the CLA, Mercedes-Benz have continued to keep the engines they've had for a while, but they've also put some mild hybrid technology in them. Now, my own personal car, I have an A-Class, and I I do rate that hybrid technology very, very well. So, just to confirm, usually when you hear the term "hybrid," you think "Plug-in Hybrid." This is, in fact, Mild Hybrid technology. So, this isn't anything you need to do where you need to plug it in or anything like that. It kind of just works. It's like almost magic. Kind of gives you extra performance, want a bit of boost, but then also can help save you fuel at the same time. There goes Mr. Police Car!
So, yes, there's the Mild Hybrid Technology found on the two petrol engines. So, these are both 1.3L, which is pretty cool. And another useful thing as well is that there's also a Plug-in Hybrid in addition to these mild hybrids as well. So, this is, of course, if you want to maximise your kind of time on electric. So, difference between Mild Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrids: Mild Hybrids, they help assist the engine, whereas Plug-in Hybrids, they have the electric drive capability as well. This allows you to travel up to a certain distance on electric, providing you obviously plug it in, hence the name Plug-in Hybrid. Now, the Plug-in Hybrids actually give you an additional 109hp on top of the 1.3L engine, which is 163hp, so that's pretty cool! Range for that goes up to 46 to 53 miles, of course, depends how you drive and varying factors, but that's pretty cool! I do remember the day when Plug-in Hybrids were, in fact, about 7 / 10 / 14 / 20 miles, that sort of thing. They were like right down. But now, now some of them, you know, 40 / 50 / 60 on some cars out there, it's crazy! So, having in the 40s and 50s is is pretty good!
Lastly, in terms of the engines, before heading on to the Mercedes-AMG engines on the CLA, you can also get a 220d as well. This is the one I'm in here. So, this is a 2.0L diesel, 190hp. Very, very useful because, as with all these engines, they're very, very torquey, and they do feature AdBlue and, of course, the latest kind of Euro 6 emission technology as well. So, all good on that front!
Then we get on to some special ones. So, Mercedes-Benz, of course, also have Mercedes-AMG engines as well. These are both 2.0L, and they actually are 306hp and 421hp as well. Lightning fast! I don't know if there's one of those here today, but honestly, guys, if you get a chance to drive one of those, you've got to take one out. The CLA 45s, to be precise, as well, 421hp, one of the fastest 2.0L production engines in the world. It's crazy! I think there is another 2.0L engine somewhere in the world which is very, very rare, but this is this is the most common one, and it is lightning fast! In fact, I'll link a video on the pop-up banner up above where I drove the A 45 S. Basically, if you were curious about all the what AMG is and that sort of thing, it's definitely a watch on that one. It's about 20 minutes long, going through AMG Line and Mercedes AMG engines and that sort of thing.
So, common question then, guys, what is the CLA like to drive? Well, for one, it's one of Mercedes-Benz's most aerodynamic cars. So, the drag coefficient factor is extremely low. So, as you're going down the road, it slips through the air and is extremely smooth, and you have that sleek, kind of coupe design and profile. It's super, super luxurious, and as well, even if you compare it to like an A-Class Saloon, for example. The A-Class Saloon and CLA Coupe are very, very similar. In fact, I'm not actually sure why those two exist because they are so, so similar. Now, I did make a comparison of those two cars, so if you're considering an A-Class Saloon or a CLA, I'll link that up above as well. However, it is the pre-facelift when those were in my local Mercedes-Benz showroom. So, it's not the facelifted versions, but it kind of gives you the idea of what's different between the two.
Of course, guys, I've covered loads of topics today in today's video, so it's obviously been quite in-depth. Now, of course, if you have any questions on the multimedia system or the boot or the rear seats or virtually anything, even the driving performance and that sort of thing, I rate all the engines. I personally drive an A180, so the CLA 180 would be exactly the same. I rate them all, they're all really, really good. But of course, guys, if you have any questions, let me know in the comments section down below.