• CLA comes with a wide variety of engines
• Diesel powered 220d is impressively quick
• Plug-in hybrid is punchy and efficient

Petrol engines

Here you can choose from two different power variants of a small 1.3-litre engine, with a seven-speed automatic gearbox being standard for these two petrol engines. The CLA 180 has 136hp and 230Nm of torque, while the more powerful CLA 200 benefits from 163bhp and 270Nm of torque.

While the lower-powered car takes 9.4 seconds to crack 0-62mph, the beefier CLA 200 takes 8.4 seconds. This engine is quiet at low revs but needs stoking up a bit to achieve its peak performance, at which point it gets quite rough and unrefined.

At the top of the performance tree however is the petrol powered, AMG-tweaked CLA 35 and CLA 45, featuring 4Matic all-wheel drive and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. They get their own review, where you can find out more about just how quick they really are.

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Diesel engine

The CLA220d gets a 2.0-litre diesel with 190hp and 400Nm of torque that delivers plenty of punch for drivers in a hurry.

The 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds only tells part of the story, because the most impressive aspect of this car’s overall performance is its mid-range overtaking ability. Having said that, although it’s refined on the move, there are some rough edges, with a pronounced diesel clatter at idle, and plenty of turbo lag when not in Sport mode.

Plug-in hybrid engine

The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250e boasts plug-in hybrid technology. This model uses the same Mercedes EQ Power setup as found in the A-Class hatchback using a 1.3-litre petrol engine and combining it with a 103hp electric motor.

Performance is good, with a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 142mph. More impressively, the 250e will drive up to 87mph on battery alone. It suffers from the same performance and efficiency drop-off as other plug-in hybrids once the battery pack depletes, but if you mainly use it for shorter journeys and keep it regularly topped up, the performance is very impressive.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Based on A-Class technology
• Comprehensive chassis tweaks
• Resulting car is more fun to drive

Largely based on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Hatchback, the CLA has undergone some specific chassis tweaks to give it a sportier handling edge to suit its looks. We’ve so far only driven cars with the extra-cost active suspension, which works out what type of surface you’re on and the type of driving you’re doing in order to set up the chassis accordingly.

As such the CLA handles with a bit more flair than the A-Class Hatchback, itself already an improvement on the last five-door car, with even less body roll and the sensation of more grip in corners too. It would be a stretch to claim these changes have transformed the CLA into a rewarding driver’s car but it’s competent enough to call fun, and more than appropriate for those enhanced athletic looks.

Ride quality is acceptable without ever being truly comfortable – it is quite firmly sprung, but well damped, which means you feel the bumps, but it does a fair job of rounding off the sharp edges. It’s a hushed car to drive with barely a whisper of wind noise in the cabin, while the petrol engines are quiet on the move.