Rides : Mercedes-Benz CLA is a mix of CLS style and A-Class technology

 

Mercedes-Benz has revealed in Detroit the CLA-Class, a new compact four-door coupe that uses the A-Class platform and has looks inspired by the CLS.

The CLA is the third in a series of new front-wheel drive models planned by Mercedes and the first one to reach U.S. soil. The sculptural lines inspired from the CLS help the more compact CLA get a drag coefficient of just 0.23, the smallest of any production vehicle on the market.
At its U.S. launch in September, the CLA will be offered in only one model, the CLA250. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection inline-four that produces 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque, the CLA250 will have a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an optional new 4Matic AWD system.
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t yet announced pricing for the U.S., but the CLA is likely to play in the same price range as the entry-level C-Class at around $35,000. In Europe, the CLA will also be available with a 122-hp 1.6-liter engine and a 2.2-liter diesel engine with 170 horsepower. A high-performance version that will wear the CLA45 AMG moniker is also in the works.

Rides : Watch Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class in an anime adventure

The still-warm A-Class is already the most successful launch in Mercedes-Benz history, yet the German brand is still coming up with new ways to show it off to more people. The latest example comes from Mercedes' Japanese outpost, which has created an anime series for the compact hatch called "Next A-Class." The new video shorts are part of the promotion ahead of the model's launch in Japan this January.

 

The futuristic, city-shifting action centers around a mythical, mystical noodle truck, the hitch being that you have to somehow find it and then actually catch it before you can buy anything from it. Thankfully, the protagonists have an A45 AMG to do the trick. An insider's note: the noodle truck is based on the 1955 Blue Wonder, an actual Fifties-era race transporter powered by the inline six from the 300SL Gullwing. Check out the series' first installment below.

Rides : Mercedes-Benz A-Class dubbed most successful launch in company history

When we drove the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class earlier this year, we called it "likely the most important Mercedes-Benz passenger car since the old 190 turned into the C-Class "Baby Benz" back in 1993." And just like that car opened all kinds of new doors for The Three-Pointed Star, the A-Class looks to be doing the same. Autocar reports that pre-orders in Western Europe number 70,000, a figure that would represent a ten-percent conversion rate of potential customers invited to pre-launch events.

That would also make the third-generation A-Class the most successful car launch in Mercedes history, an auspicious start for a car with a heavy burden. The segment continues to expand and will be a key battleground, especially as both Mercedes and Audi plan on being the number one luxury carmaker by 2020, taking over from BMW. The uptake of the standard model bodes well for the fortunes of the CLA sedan and the utility variant to come. 

 

Credit : Autoblog