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Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e

FASHION WITH FRUGALITY (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Coupe and Shooting Brake versions of Mercedes' trendy compact CLA model offer sophisticated plug-in tech. Jonathan Crouch takes a look...

Ten Second Reviewword count: 98

Mercedes thinks that the tech-savvy customers looking at its CLA four-door Coupe and Shooting Brake models will be attracted by the plug-in hybrid technology that features in this clever CLA 250e variant. It can travel up to 42 WLTP-rated miles on a single charge that can be completed from 10-100% in just an hour and 45 minutes from a 7.4kW garage wallbox. And the 1.33-litre petrol engine and 75kW electric motor produce a sprightly 218hp total output, yet a super-low CO2 reading of up to 31g/km. In short, this is a car that's eco-conscious as well as fashion-conscious.

Backgroundword count: 163

If you're looking at a trendy premium-badged compact saloon or estate, then you're probably also the kind of person who likes the ideas of futuristic electrification. Which is why the three key premium brand models competing in this segment, the Mercedes CLA, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and the Audi A3 Saloon, have all been developed with it. It's the Mercedes we look at here, a car which, unlike its two arch-rivals, is additionally offered in an estate form, the 'Shooting Brake'. As well as its various conventional engines, the CLA is also available with clever PHEV tech in the form of the variant we look at here, the CLA 250e. The CLA 250e shares the same plug-in powertrain as the A-Class, the B-Class and the GLA crossover, a set-up that right now just happens to set the segment standard. But can it justify a significant price premium over the conventional petrol and diesel versions of this CLA? Let's take a look.

Driving Experienceword count: 248

Not long ago, before the advent of plug-in technology, the idea of a humble 1,332cc petrol engine somehow putting out as much as 218hp would have been quite startling but that's the system output of the CLA 250e. That figure combines the 150hp of this model's 1.33-litre powerplant with a 75kW electric motor linked to a 15.6kWh lithium-ion battery. These power sources collectively generate a pretty potent system pulling power figure of 450Nm. So, not surprisingly, performance is sprightly, 62mph dispatched in just 6.8s en route to 149mph. You have to have front wheel drive and an 8-speed 8G-DCT dual clutch auto transmission. Of most interest to a potential PHEV buyer though, will be this model's projected WLTP all-electric driving range - up to 42 miles. Obviously, you won't get anywhere near that figure if you regularly approach the quoted all-electric top speed of 87mph. An 'Electric' drive programme keeps the car in battery drive unless the accelerator pedal's kickdown function is used. In the 'Electric' programme, the energy recovery level can also be selected via paddles behind the steering wheel. The paddles on the steering wheel enable the selection of five different recuperation levels ('DAUTO', 'D+', 'D', 'D-' and 'D--'). The usual additional 'Comfort', 'ECO' and 'Sport' modes are also available. According to the given requirements, the driver is thus able to give priority to electric driving, place the emphasis on driving dynamics or give preference to combustion mode in order to save electric range, for example.

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Pictures (high res disabled)

Statistics (subset of data only)

Min

Max

Price:

£37,000.00

£43,000.00

CO2 (g/km):

31 (CLA Coupe)

35 (CLA Coupe)

Max Speed (mph):

149

0-62 mph (s):

6.8

Electric WLTP-Rated Driving Range (miles):

42

Combined Mpg:

188

Length (mm):

4695

Width (mm):

1999

Height (mm):

1430

Boot Capacity (l):

400

Scoring (subset of scores)

Category: Hybrid, Plug-in, Electric & Hydrogen

Performance
80%
Handling
70%
Comfort
80%
Space
60%
Styling, Build, Value, Equipment, Depreciation, Handling, Insurance and Total scores are available with our full data feed.

This is an excerpt from our full review.
To access the full content library please contact us on 0330 0020 227 or click here

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