‘The CLA has always shaped our brand for a new generation of customers. That is why with the new generation we have made the design as high-tech, as sporty as a four-door GT and as beautiful as a sensual sculpture.” It is Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz Group, who describes the new CLA with these words at the international presentation of the model in Rome, Italy. “This model embodies the next level of our iconic distinctive style we call Sensual Purity: perfect fusion of beauty and intelligence.” The first model on the new MMA modular platform, the compact saloon will arrive in electric (range of up to 790 kilometres) or hybrid versions and ushers in a new family of cars coming in the next few years including a shooting brake variant. The CLA will be the cover story subject of the next Auto&Design issue.
The design of the new CLA was anticipated by the CLA Concept car unveiled at the IAA in Munich in 2023, while the technical content and aerodynamic treatment by the Vision EQXX in 2022. At 4,723 millimetres, the new CLA is around four centimetres longer than its predecessor. The wheelbase has increased by more than six centimetres to 2,790 millimetres. The driver and front passenger have slightly more legroom (plus 11 millimetres). The sporty proportions of the car are enhanced by a low greenhouse, a long bonnet with fairings and large 19-inch wheels. The car’s muscular, athletic shoulders start at the front wheel arches and extend to the sculpted rear.
The clear design language emphasises the sculpted surfaces with reduced lines and precise joints. Character lines on the side create an interesting play of light and shadow when viewed from the side. The powerful design conveys sporty confidence and modernity, giving the CLA a visual lightness. The meticulous attention to detail underlines the high quality and exclusivity of the new model. The saloon is the first modern Mercedes-Benz with a front luggage compartment: it offers 101 litres of additional load space, for storing small suitcases or the charging cable. Particularly striking is the front end with its illuminated star pattern, which reinterprets the classic chrome grille and has 142 illuminated stars creating a particularly distinctive light signature. The star theme is repeated in the design of the full-width headlamps, while the number plate is positioned in the bumper like on sportier Mercedes cars.
For the interior, the designers have chosen an all-screen layout. There are three horizontally developed displays on the dashboard, two 14-inch ones in the centre and for the passenger, one 10-inch one for the instrumentation, while the round air vents are inspired by large aircraft engines. For the materials chapter, the department headed by Belinda Günther opted for five upholstery options for the comfort seat, including black synthetic leather, with backing fabric made by processing recycled PET bottles, while the microfibre fabric is made from 100 per cent recycled material. The genius, however, is the choice of paper for the optional upholstery of the centre console with some extensions to the door panels: ‘This is the first time it has been used in the automotive industry for production cars is sustainable and the performance is absolutely comparable to materials such as velvet or leather. We believe that the use of paper for interiors is a quantum leap in innovation”.
