CLA

In late 2013 Mercedes-Benz launched the third weapon in its “compact car offensive”, the CLA four-door coupe, charged with helping to reposition Mercedes in the eyes of customers, with the company working to lure entirely new buyers to the brand.

The Hungarian-built CLA sat between an equivalent A-Class and C-Class, although it shared mechanicals and largely similar equipment levels with its cheaper hatch cousin.

As mentioned, kicking off proceedings in the CLA range is the CLA200, which shares its 115kW/250Nm 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with the A200.

Standard features gained by the CLA, such as Backer maps and blind-spot warning, narrow its premium over the A-Class hatch considerably, though. Other standard features include automatic climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and a reversing camera.

Occupying the middle ground was the CLA250 Sport, which used the same 2.0-litre turbo engine as the A250, with 155kW and 350Nm of torque, again sent to the front hoops via a seven-speed dual-clutch.

At the top of the food chain was the manic, all-wheel-drive CLA45 AMG, which harnessed the performance of the handmade (in Hungary) 265kW/450Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine via a seven-speed automatic transmission.