Mercedes-Benz’s A-Class is getting more grunt and a new look. Will the CLA follow suit?

By Ronan Glon April 13, 2015

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to introduce an updated version of the entry-level A-Class hatchback, and a new report gives us a good idea of what to expect from it when it lands.

Set to go on sale across Europe next summer, the 2016 A-Class will benefit from a minor nip and tuck that will bring a new front fascia with a revised bumper, tweaked headlights and a redesigned radiator grille.

Out back, the CLA’s Euro-flavored sibling will gain new-look tail lamps and a more muscular-looking lower bumper. The usual assortment of new alloy wheel designs and additional paint colors will round out the exterior modifications.

Although they’re shaping up to be relatively minor, the updates are expected bring the A-Class in line with Mercedes latest design language and help it fend off competition from the thoroughly renewed BMW 1 Series, its arch enemy on the old continent, and the Audi A3.

The upgrades will be more significant under the hood, and sources close to Mercedes claim that the range-topping A 45 hot hatch (pictured) will benefit from a slight bump in power. Like the GLA 45 and the CLA 45 sold on our shores, the A 45 is currently powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that sends a whopping 355 horsepower to all four wheels via an automatic transmission.

The bump in power will be accompanied by a new name. Starting early next year, the A 45 will leave the Mercedes-Benz moniker and join the burgeoning Mercedes-AMG lineup.

Lesser A-Class models will get more efficient engines in order to comply with the strict emissions regulations that are set to come into effect across Europe in the coming years. However, Mercedes says that downsizing has its limits and it will not launch a three-cylinder engine to compete against BMW’s turbocharged 1.5-liter triple.

Additional details about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz A-Class will emerge over the coming months. Nothing is official at this point, but it’s not too far-fetched to imagine that the U.S.-spec CLA will undergo roughly the same visual updates – and, more importantly, get the same bump in power – shortly after the updated A is introduced.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Mercedes EV charging hubs are coming to North America by the end of the decade

What a future Mercedes-Benz EV charging hub might look like.

You can't have more electric cars without more charging stations, so Mercedes-Benz is building a global charging network covering North America, China, Europe, and other major markets to support its goal of going all-electric by the end of the decade where market conditions allow.

Announced at CES 2023, the network should be in place by the end of the decade in line with Mercedes' electrification goal. It's a bold move by the automaker, which has mostly relied on third-party charging networks until now.

Cars

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV preview: The EV lineup grows again

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.

As Mercedes-Benz has steadily expanded its EQ range of electric cars, the lineup has become a bit like the late stages of a Tetris game. It’s mostly complete, but with a few gaps still left. And the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the piece that perfectly fits one of them.
Mercedes recently launched two other electric SUVs at opposite ends of the price spectrum. The EQS SUV is positioned as the lineup’s flagship, while the EQB is the entry-level model. The EQE SUV slots between those two in size and, presumably, price. The latter hasn’t been confirmed yet, and likely won’t be until the EQE SUV’s planned March 2023 on-sale date.

Design
As the name says, the EQE SUV is a utility-vehicle version of the EQE sedan, which will likely beat it to showrooms by a few months. Mercedes did the same thing with the EQS, which is available in both SUV and sedan body styles.
With its tall, upright profile, the EQE SUV definitely looks like a proper SUV compared to the low-slung EQE sedan. Park it next to an EQS SUV, though, and you’ll have to get out a measuring tape to spot the differences.
The EQE SUV is 0.6 inch narrower and 1.2 inches lower than the EQS SUV, but the most significant difference is in length. The EQE SUV is 10.3 inches shorter than the EQS SUV, with a 2.1-inch shorter wheelbase. And while the EQS SUV has three-row seating, the EQE SUV has two rows. Based on our experience with the EQS SUV’s third row, that’s not a big loss.
The interior design theme carries over from other Mercedes EQ models, with an expansive sloping dashboard designed to accommodate many screens, and multicolor ambient lighting that should look pretty dramatic at night. However, leatherette upholstery is standard, rather than real leather, which Mercedes is now spinning as a vegan option.

Cars

We need more 7-passenger EVs, but the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV has room to improve

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to expand its EV lineup, this time with a model aimed at (wealthy) families.
As the name states, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is an SUV derivative of the EQS sedan. With the EQS sedan positioned as the electric analog to the Mercedes S-Class, the EQS SUV is the electric version of the GLS-Class. And like that vehicle, the EQS SUV is available with up to seven seats across three rows.
That makes the EQS SUV an important vehicle not just for Mercedes, but for the cause of EV adoption in general. While the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S also offer three rows for family-hauling duty, there’s a lot more room in the market for another entry. Given the popularity of equivalent gasoline luxury SUVs like the GLS, Land Rover Range Rover, and Cadillac Escalade, the EQS SUV arrives not a moment too soon.
The EQS SUV is scheduled to reach U.S. dealerships this fall in three guises. The base rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ starts at $105,550 with destination, while the all-wheel drive EQS 450 4Matic and EQS 580 4Matic start at $108,550 and $127,100, respectively. Although it will be built in Alabama, the EQS SUV won’t qualify for the revised federal EV tax credit because it exceeds the $80,000 price cap for SUVs.

Design and interior
A defining feature of Mercedes’ EQ lineup is aerodynamic bodywork aimed at maximizing range. The typical SUV is not aerodynamically ideal, but Mercedes managed to achieve an impressively low drag coefficient for an SUV — at 0.26, it’s close to the Toyota Prius. But function clearly took precedence over form. Mercedes deserves credit for not going in the polarizing direction BMW did with its two-row iX SUV, but the EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.
More disappointing is the third row, which should be the EQS SUV’s defining feature, but seems more like a useless afterthought. Adults will find it difficult to insert themselves into the third-row seats, let alone tolerate riding in them. As in most three-row vehicles, the rear seats also pretty much eliminate cargo space. And if you want to fold them down to create more cargo room, you’ll have to do it manually as Mercedes didn’t include a power-folding system — a bit disappointing for a six-figure car. The EQS SUV also lacks a frunk; like the EQS sedan, the hood is sealed.
The EQS SUV looks like a melting scoop of ice cream.