Mercedes-Benz Cla CLA 350 260kW 4M AMG Line Premium+ 85kWh 4dr Auto

Ten Second Review

This is a Mercedes CLA. But not as you know it. Virtually everything about the Stuttgart brand's compact four-door coupe and Shooting Brake electric model has been redesigned and reimagined to create one of the fastest compact performance EVs on the planet.

Background

Driving enthusiasts are now gratefully coming to realise that the EV revolution might not necessarily signal the end of immersive roadgoing excitement. Or at least not if you're the grateful recipient of a lottery win anyway and can afford three figures for some kind of EV hypercar. But what about in the real world, in something sensibly-sized and relatively accessibly priced? What might be the ultimate EV then? We'd like to suggest this car, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+. We've already had two generations of Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, both based around versions of the Affalterbach tuning division's high-revving turbo 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol unit, the most recent version offering 416hp. This third generation model though, shares only its name and its four-door coupe or Shooting Brake estate packaging with those cars. Because it's a different proposition entirely, now fully electric. And very, very fast indeed.

Engines and Tech Spec

Here's where the performance side of the EV revolution really starts getting real. It can produce Ferrari-fast hypercar-style acceleration in a £70,000 compact family sporting car. Specifically, in the case of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+, 0-62mph in just 3.0s (or 2.7s from a one-foot roll-out, so the car's slightly moving as the driver stamps on the throttle). If you want some perspective on that, what's supposed to be overall the Mercedes-AMG sub-brand's very fastest car, the F1-engined AMG One, needs 2.9s. As you'd expect, all this comes courtesy of a colossal increase in power over the previous 416hp 2.0-litre petrol CLA 45 S. In this replacement EV version, three axial flux motors (from British firm Yasa), two at the rear and one at the front, combine to put out 680hp, with 1,760Nm of torque. The new electric Mercedes AMG GT Four-Door Coupe (which puts out 544hp in its base 53 form) uses similar technology but has a more sophisticated F1-derived battery design. The battery here - very different from the one in an ordinary CLA Electric - is the 94kWh pack from the C-Class Electric. And, if you're able to resist driving this top CLA as if you've stolen it, is supposed to be able to take the saloon version of this car up to 416 miles between charges (or 398 miles for the alternative Shooting Brake version). On the move, the business of propelling this 2.3-tonne EV forward is mainly taken care of by the two rear motors. The front motor only engages when extra traction is needed, like when starting a hot lap on a track, though it won't be active when the tyre-shredding 'Drift' mode is activated. Top speed is 155mph - or 177mph when the optional 'AMG Dynamic Plus' pack is fitted. The most memorable thing about this car apart from its speed is the built-in 'AMGFORCE' simulated engine and gearbox system. The sound on the throttle is supposed to reflect the combustion note of the previous CLA 45's turbo petrol unit, complete with popping and banging from the non-existent rear exhausts. The seats vibrate too and it all combines (in the harshest 'AMGFORCE S+' setting) to create a remarkably realistic illusion that there's an engine beneath the bonnet. The Affalterbach technicians used 13 microphones placed inside and outside the old petrol model to create more than 1,600 audiophiles of the turbo petrol unit's noise, including the throaty exhaust. The combustion impression is further reinforced by the way you can conduct virtual 'gear' changes via the steering wheel paddles. Sports suspension with three-way adaptive damping is standard, with the firmest setting also badged 'AMGFORCE S+'. And there's the expected selection of drive modes, the fastest being 'RACE'. In the lesser 'ECO, 'COMFORT' and 'SPORT' drive modes, the AEROKINETICS active rear spoiler is flattened until 90mph to reduce drag and preserve range - but is permanently raised in the 'S+' and 'RACE' settings. Braking is performed primarily by the electric motors, but the hydraulic system has also of course been beefed up, with 390mm ventilated discs and six-piston calipers at the front and 350mm ventilated discs with single-piston calipers at the rear. There's also a wider track. And a Predictive Battery Management system that maximises performance over the course of a fast lap - by changing power outputs based on where maximum performance is most needed.. For instance, paring power back through the bends to reduce heat and allow maximum thrust to be delivered for the length of the next long straight, like the Dottinger Hohe at the Nurburgring Nordscleife.

Design and Build

With either the four-door coupe or the Shooting Brake body styles, the changes over a standard CLA are subtle but significant. There's a big AMG-specific front grille with Panamericana strakes, plus subtly updated bumpers and the normal CLA front light bar is replaced by an air duct. The wider track (which stretches body width by 24mm) allows wider front wheel arches that house big alloy rims of 19 or 20-inches. And there's an AEROKINETICS active rear spoiler above the largest diffuser yet fitted to an AMG hot hatch. Inside, there are unique sports bucket AMG Performance seats with thick bolsters and vibrating sound motors. And bespoke graphics for the three big colourful screens that dominate the dashboard; namely a 10.25-inch driver instrument cluster, a 14-inch central infotainment display and a further 14-inch passenger-side screen. There are also unique finishes for the centre console and seat belts. And a grippy AMG-specific three-spoke steering wheel with drive mode dials and scroll wheels on the upper slopes. In the back, the usual bench is swapped for two individual chairs, making the 45 strictly a four seater. The bigger body for this third generation CLA 45 (with its 2,790mm-long wheelbase) will noticeably improve rear seat space. But disappointingly, boot capacity has fallen substantially - from 460-litres with the MK2 four-door coupe petrol model to 390-litres with this AMG EV four-door version (15-litres less than an ordinary CLA Electric). You do at least also have a 101-litre under-bonnet 'frunk'. The Shooting Brake estate version offers 450-litres of boot space - or 1,290-litres with the rear bench folded.

Market and Model

With the Four-Door Coupe model, two trim levels are being offered - 'Touring Edition', at £66,750; and 'Premium Plus' at £78,300. It's £1,000 more in each case if you want the alternative Shooting Brake estate version. Included with both trim levels are 20-inch AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels, a panoramic glass roof, LED High Performance headlamps, AMG body styling, an AEROKINETICS active rear spoiler, heat-insulating dark tinted glass, a powered EASYPACK boot or tailgate and KEYLESS GO keyless entry. Plus a 'Parking Assist' auto parking system with all-round sensors, a camera and a Reverse Manoeuvring function. And 'Distance Assist DISTRONIC', which will virtually drive the car for you at highway speeds. Inside, equipment includes the 'AMGFORCE' 4D Sound system with exciters in the front seats that vibrate and transmit the four cylinder driving sound into the cabin. Those AMG Performance seats are upholstered in ARTICO man-made leather with MICROCUT two-tone microfibre and have heat and 4-way lumbar support. Other standard features include a nappa leather-trimmed AMG Performance steering wheel, ambient lighting, THERMATIC automatic climate control and an MBUX multimedia system with wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. Safety ADAS systems include Brake Assist, Blind Spot Assist Plus, a Lane-Keeping function, an Emergency stop function and Exit Warning.

Cost of Ownership

As with the ordinary CLA Electric, the 800V architecture in place here allows for impressive DC charging speeds - in this case up to 330kW. Which in turn means a 10 to 80% DC charge of the 94kWh (usable capacity) battery needs just 22 minutes. And you can add the equivalent of 168 miles of range in just 10 minutes. When you're not in red mist mode, there's an ECO drive setting which should allow you to get somewhere close to the claimed EV range figures (416 miles for the four-door and 398 miles for the Shooting Brake). And the standard heat pump will help with that in cold weather. To preserve energy in the normal drive modes, the front motor is disconnected when not needed at speeds of up to 100mph, unless additional traction is required at the front axle, in which case it engages in 1 millisecond. At home, a full three-phase AC charge at 11kW requires 10 hours 30 minutes; you'd need up to 15 hours if you were to use a single-phase 7.4kW AC wallbox.

Summary

If financial provision has smiled sweetly on you - but not quite sweetly enough to allow ownership of a second generation Mercedes-AMG GT Four-Door Coupe, then this third generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 might just be your car. A typical owner will have had their doubts about switching to an EV but, Affalterbach hopes, will be won over by this top CLA's frantic speed and remarkably combustion-like performance engine note. In the fossil-fuelled era, it was never possible for an affordable performance model to get as close to lottery-winning hypercar speeds as is possible here. With EVs, neck-snapping performance is often little more than a software tweak away. But the CLA 45 package is so much more than that, bearing all the hallmarks of AMG's 60 years of tuning experience. For now, for many, it might represent the ultimate affordable performance EV. And if you've a need for speed in the electric era, be encouraged. Mercedes-AMG is just getting started.