Mercedes-AMG Wows With CLA 35

Capitalizing on the already-slim and athletic design of the CLA, Mercedes-AMG revealed their hopped-up version of the four-door coupe. There are all kinds of cool performance upgrades, plus some nice onboard technologies added to the mix.

First, a new 2.0-liter turbo four, which is based on the M 260 used in the A-Class, has been dialed up to produce 306 horsepower. Two ducts in the turbo housing seem made for a unique solution to some disadvantages of forced induction. An AMG Speedshift DCT 7G dual-clutch transmission with paddles is standard. Thanks to AMG Performance 4Matic, handling should be commendable.

As you can expect, the car comes with all kinds of chassis tweaks, affecting everything from steering responsiveness to handling and ride comfort. Proving this is a car geared toward weekend racers, AMG Track Pace is available. Accessible through the infotainment system, the data logger permanently records 80 different vehicle metrics while you’re going around a track. It’s a way to analyze your hot laps and figure out where you need to improve.

Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4Matic interior (Credit: Daimler )

There are plenty of exterior and interior styling details to let everyone know this is not your average CLA. For example, the hood features two powerdomes, complimenting the AMG Line front apron and the classic-styled grille with twin louvres. Unfortunately, the CLA 35 can only be had with man-made leather, which is actually a selling point for some buyers.

The official world premier of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4Matic is set for April 16 at the New York International Auto Show. It will launch in Europe in August, and hopefully hit the U.S. not too long after.