Mercedes CLA facelift arrives; India launch soon

Mercedes has updated the CLA. The facelift gets a few tweaks on the outside as well as the inside and marks the customary mid-life upgrade of all Mercedes cars within three years of launch. Just like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class upgrade came to India in the same year as its global update, we hope the CLA will follow suit.

The Mercedes CLA continues to get its evocative lines that blend in with the Mercedes family face. The diamond grille in black is now standard across the trims and the mesh grilles on the air dam have been reworked for a bit more aggression. The multi-spoke alloys are the only change to the side profile. The tail looks almost the same again with a few changes to the rear bumper.

On the inside, the display for the infotainment system has been tweaked in terms of its appearance and it also gets latest software like Android Auto and Apple Car Play for seamless integration of your smart phones. In terms of luxury, the premium sedan continues with its list of leather upholstery, power adjustable seats, adjustable steering for rake and reach, sunroof et al. It also gets driving modes now where the engine and transmission characteristics change to optimise power delivery instead of the standard economy function.

The India-bound car will continue to get CLA 200 petrol and the CLA 200d diesel engine options – the ones offered in India. The 2143cc four pot turbo-diesel produces 136bhp of power and 300Nm of torque while the 1.6-litre four cylinder petrol mill produces 156bhp of power and 200Nm of torque. Both the engines are mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission with steering mounted paddle shifters and power the front wheels of the sedan. 

The updated Mercedes CLA coupe and the CLA shooting brake are also expected to be launched soon. For us in India, the CLA facelift will be on the cards for the German manufacturer as a part of its schedule of 12 launches in 2016.