The Mercedes Concept Style Coupé (CSC) has received its debut at the Beijing motor show. The model previews the forthcoming Mercedes CLA compact saloon, which was confirmed for production at the show today by Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche.
He described the CLA junior saloon, inspired by the success of the CLS and due on sale next year, as the"rebel".
"It is the avant-garde sibling that strives to be bold and different, to establish a strong non-conformist identity and to even show a bit of attitude," revealed Zetsche. "I promise the production version will do justice to this concept version."
Among the CLA’s four-door rivals will be a saloon version of the new Audi A3, also due next year, and a secret four-door version of the BMW 1-series, which is currently undergoing conceptual development with a view to introduction in 2015.
The CLA also has in its sights the Volkswagen Jetta - a car officials suggest they will target heavily in North America and China, markets considered crucial to the CLA’s success.
Long billed as a junior CLS, the CLA will sit below the Mercedes C-class saloon on price and features in the marques line-up. However, this CSC show car hints that Mercedes’ new entry-level saloon will be 47mm longer, a considerable 121mm wider and 47mm lower than the C-class saloon. The CSC is 4637mm long, 1891mm wide and 1398mm tall.
These official measurements also make it 345mm longer, the same width and 35mm lower than the new Mercedes A-class - a car with which the CLA shares its platform, chassis and driveline architecture.
Based on Mercedes’ new MFA platform, it has a 2699mm wheelbase — 59mm shorter than the C-class but the same as the A-class.
The CSC concept has been fitted with the same turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine confirmed for the new A250 at the Geneva show in March.
This engine kicks out a Volkswagen Golf GTI-equalling 208bhp. Drive is channelled through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.
In production guise, the CLA will offer the choice of standard front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive. Gearboxes will include a standard six-speed manual or the same seven-speed dual-clutch unit as the CSC as an option.
The 208bhp engine showcased in the CSC is set to see the light of day in the CLA250. The junior saloon is also set to offer two other turbo four-pot petrol units: a 120bhp 1.6 in the CLA180 and a 154bhp 2.0 in the CLA200.
Three turbodiesel engines are also planned: two 1.8-litre units with 108bhp in the CLA180 CDI and 134bhp in the CLA200 CDI,and a 168bhp 2.2 in the CLA220 CDI.
The highlight of the line-up will be a four-wheel-drive AMG model running an uprated 2.0-litre turbo engine with up to 340bhp. Secrecy surrounds this model’s name. However, insiders suggest it may take the designation CLA45 AMG as a nod to AMG’s 45th anniversary.
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Re: Mercedes CLA to be previewed at Beijing
Maybe they muddled it with the new Volvo V40, which to my eyes has a very similar droopy nose and prices that do start at under £20K...
Re: Mercedes CLA to be previewed at Beijing
Agree. If this does make it to production reasonably in tact, I think BMW might wet themselves over the damage it could do to the new 1-series coupe (or '2-series' as it's rumoured to be named).
This is purely my perspective of course, but as someone who was looking at a 1-series coupe to upgrade to when the new one comes out (and I have loved the current coupe since day 1), well.... I'm now looking at how well this Merc makes it to reality. I also do love the new A-Class, it looks like a genuine Golf-sized option from MB. To be honest, with the money VW, BMW and Audi have raked in from this class in recent years, it's scarcely believable Mercedes has taken this long with it. They have the SLK but it's not really the same deal (that's a birds car for a start!).
Also let's not forget the A3 sedan - something that, from a company that pumps out model after model, has also taken an inexplicably long time to appear as a concept and even longer to appear on the production radar.
Re: Mercedes CLA to be previewed at Beijing
£19k? Are you kidding? Extensive option list to include engine and wheels presumably.