[Rehaan]

Mod Note: Team-BHP's Mercedes CLA-Class Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

2014 will see 10 new product launches from Mercedes-Benz India, mainly focusing on the top end of the Luxury segment.

CLA 45 AMG

• The CLA is fresh. It was unveiled just a year back, and we should see it in India by Q3/Q4 2014
• The good news is that we wont be seeing just any CLA Class, we'll get the CLA 45 AMG
• It has the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engine in series production anywhere in the world
• Maximum output is 360 BHP & up to 450 Nm of torque from the 2.0-litre turbo engine
• Performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive is standard on the AMG
• Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h comes up in 4.6 seconds
• The CLA is built on the A-Class and B-Class platform
• It is incredibly aerodynamic (Cd=0.23), which is better than the previous record the Tesla Model S held (0.24) despite the Tesla not having a radiator grille up front
• After Merc tasted success with the A-Class, they felt Indian customers were ready for compact performance cars. Unfortunately we wont be seeing the A45 AMG this year

Headlamps are just like the A-Class, but note how the grille is extruded further forward:


Big star takes up the attention from this angle:


Mercedes nomenclature has gone astray since a while now. The "45" is actually a 2.0 liter. Thankfully the 4MATIC does mean 4-wheels are driven:


Back end is a bit droopy:


Here's what the CLA has that the A-Class doesn't:


471 litres of boot space. That's 130 litres more than the A-Class:


Two-tone AMG wheels:


Frameless rear doors are sweet. Sporty door pads too:


Beautiful flat-bottom steering with that red stitching that says horsepower:


Front doors are frameless too:


View of the rear passenger. The sporty front seats are nice to look at from the back too:


Rear seat space. Headroom is limited, anything above 5'8" and your head will touch the roof:


Love those AC vents, sporty pedals, and don't miss the dual-texture on the steering:


Another view of the well put-together cabin:


Be prepared to spend most of your time near the 6,200 rpm redline when seated here:


Racing-styled seats (including the faux-point harness holes) provide plenty of lateral support:

[Rehaan]

GLA-Class

The European production model of the GLA Class was showcased here:


Here's some people, to give you a better idea of scale:


I'll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves:

[Rehaan]

Special Protection M-Guard

• The M-Guard will be priced at Rs.2.49 Crores ex-showroom Delhi
• Special-protection variant vehicles from Mercedes provide added safety for VIP owners, due to bullet-proofing, run-flat tyres, etc
• The Guard Programme includes the E-Class, G-Class, M-Class and S-Class
• The new M-Guard meets the requirements of protection level VR4 according to testing guidelines BRV 2009 for vehicles with bullet resistance
• Standard features: AIRMATIC air suspension with Adaptive Damper System (ADS). Stronger axle components to compensate for the the increased weight. Guard-specific torsion bars at the rear axle to optimize roll behavior in fast evasive actions

Almost impossible to tell that this is a Guard vehicle from the outside:


Despite the additional 350 kgs (for this particular spec'd car), look at that 0-100 time:


Big ML boot:


Chunky AMG 5-spoke alloys, clad with run-flat tyres:


Thick and stiff sidewalls on the run-flat tyres:


The door cutaway shows the beefed up mechanics, thicker bullet-proof glass and high-strength steel:


Window thickness can range from 25 - 60 mm, depending on what kind of gun you're planning to get shot with:


A demo pane of the glass and steel, after they had been shot at:


The SLK 55 AMG looks way less like a 'chick car' with this new front end:


Note the quad pipes, diffuser and spoiler:


Monochrome interiors on this one:


The SLK55 had crowds fighting over it at the show, but ironically there was one standing all alone in the visitor parking outside:


The G63 AMG:


Glad to see that what some might consider a 'dated' design is still popular with the masses:


Alloys do an awesome job of matching the SUV:


Side pipes! Need I say more? You gotta hear this thing:


Boxy rear end:


With plenty of space for boxes:


Try opening this door with your left hand. Now you know why flap and pull-through door handles are considered more modern:


High seating position at the rear:


High-tech looking interiors (a nice contrast to the no-nonsense exterior):

[Rehaan]

A-Class 180 Sport:






A-Class 180 CDI:




GL 350 CDI:














New S-Class (S500):


E 250 CDI:


C-Class Edition C:


B-Class 180 Sport:




Mercedes W04 AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Car:

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

CLA 45 AMG

That's indeed an extremely good looking car. And another differentiating factor between the regular CLA is the gear shifter at the proper place (instead of the new found location behind the steering wheel).

Originally Posted by Rehaan

GLA-Class

How is the rear seat space/support on this one? And any word on the expected launch date?

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by vb-san

How is the rear seat space/support on this one? And any word on the expected launch date?

We weren't allowed to shoot any pics of the interiors.

If I'm not mistaken Q3/Q4 2014 for the GLA as well.

cya
R

[girishglg]

Mercedes Benz is back and how. Brand new line up of cars, drool worthy special editions. Especially liked the GLA which could now compete well with its other German rivals in our market.

Have seen the G class for quite some time. Every time I see that remember its poor cousin or say a design rip off aka our very own Sumo especially from the front. Wonder when will they launch the G class in our market.

[Mad Max]

Is this a newer version of the C-Class Edition C? Any idea about price?

I've always dreamed of owning a Merc someday. Maybe, now with all this line-up, we'll get something going.

Any comparisons between the BMW, Merc and Audi entry versions at the show?

[PPS]

Why didn't they showcase the ML63 AMG, GL63 AMG & the CLS63 AMG?
These models i believe will be launched much before the GLA.

[PSOPS]

Mercedes-Benz had definitely one of the Best Stall at the Expo. Just loved seeing every car...

[M00M]

when is the gla expected in india ?

[y2ksrs]

Isn't the regular CLA not headed to our shores? I thought the idea behind the CLA was for MB to get a foothold into the entry level luxury sedan segment (aka competition to the Audi A3). But having the AMG moniker is going to shoot the price up north !!

[Joe M]

The CLA and the GLA are just awesome! Quite sure that they'll be out-right success from the day 1. The CLA with the sporty design and frameless doors is definitely going to create a wave in the market. Can't wait to see it on our roads!

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by M00M

when is the gla expected in india ?

Q3/Q4 2014 if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by y2ksrs

Isn't the regular CLA not headed to our shores? I thought the idea behind the CLA was for MB to get a foothold into the entry level luxury sedan segment (aka competition to the Audi A3).

I agree. However, i wonder if in this case they are bringing in the CLA 45 AMG as the precursor (similar to how they've started to begin by selling the "launch edition" trim for most of their new vehicles).

cya
R