Mercedes CLA 200 BEV review: A brilliant electric car with one frustrating flaw
The all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology: exterior: AMG Line Plus
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MERCEDES CLA |
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★★★★☆ |
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From €43,300 - €65,022 as tested |
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Pure electric with varying outputs from 220bhp to 349bhp |
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Claimed at 530km, real-world performance brings that down to around 450km |
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Adds-on mount up quickly |
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One of the best drivers’ EVs we’ve thus far encountered |
It seems that this year more than most, we here at Examiner Motoring have driven more naff cars than we’d come across in a long while. These would be new cars that simply don’t come up to the standards we expect these days.
Now, while we must qualify the above by saying that in the modern era there simply no such thing anymore as a ‘bad’ car. Just ones that are not as good as so many others on the marketplace.
Reputationally it would be very silly these days for any manufacturer to build a car they know is not going to cut the mustard or reach accepted standards. It used to happen years ago because automakers believed solidly in their own greatness, even when it was obvious to everyone else that what they were making was rubbish.
We’d have to admit that a majority of naffers, as it were, we’ve tried this year thus far have been Chinese. While that’s country’s automotive industry has seen incredible progress in just a few short years, in their rush for world dominance, they’ve overlooked one or two things.
They place little emphasis, it would seem, on their vehicles’ abilities in cornering, for example. Their handling prowess, overall, is pretty shoddy by the standards that the Europeans, Koreans, Japanese and even – bless us all – the Americans achieve without bother.
Rather, their success has been based on the value for money of their products, decent well-built interiors and a level of technology hitherto unseen in this part of the world. But these cars are all rather generic in terms of their design and looks and, largely, they don’t really like corners.
So, when something really snazzy comes along, like this week’s tester, the Mercedes CLA with battery-electric power, then we tend to get a touch overwhelmed. We shouldn’t be but we are.
We were impressed in so many different ways by this car, but in the heel of the hunt there was one somewhat mystifying thing about it that nearly spoiled the whole experience.
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Let me explain. In the face of the forthcoming tsunami of ‘Neue Klasse’ models coming from its main premium brand opponent, BMW, Mercedes has perhaps been left trailing in the dust. Now it does have a whole heap of BEV product coming down the line which it hopes will rival, if not completely match its Munich counterpart in the very near future.
These cars will have a range – 775km – nearly mirroring the 800km being claimed by BMW. They will also have sophisticated new electronic and infotainment systems, while rear wheel drive and a near-even weight distribution will make them superb handlers.
As it is the CLA 200 BEV, which utilises the last generation EQ battery and electric motor, is an absolutely brilliant car to drive, a scintillating and engaging performer on B-roads, and is blessed with comfort levels passengers will marvel at.
But this one, while being a sterling thing to drive and be driven in, the claimed range is just 522km, and when I fully charged it on my home charger, it announced it was at 100% capacity, but the range was down to 420km.
While it did not tell too many lies about usage levels – a 120km spin left 265km still available to you – you were still left feeling that it was not quite as good as it should be. That said, after driving it, there was a real sense of not wanting to have to give it back.
Really good cars do leave a mark on you and this one most certainly did. While ludicrously refined – nearly zero road and wind noise at motorway speeds – it was truly excellent urban companion; and, on country roads its roadholding was exemplary, corning abilities stunning and offered light but hugely accurate steering.
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One minor quibble is that once you get in and start it up, all you have to do is engage ‘R’ or ‘D’ and off you go. There is no ‘Park’ to be engaged and, in truth, this is a little too Chinese for our cup of tea.
So too the tech on offer which is largely buttonless. There are two screens ahead of the driver – one for the instrumentation and one for the infotainment and no physical buttons apart from one for the hazard warning lights. Everything else has to be found via various menus.
Now, while not being as distracting to use while driving as some of the worst Chinese or Tesla examples and offers an intuitive operating system (as well as actually being fantastic to look at) but – and as we have seen recently – such high-technology is actually being turned against by legislators and companies alike.
This one, though, is really easy to use and also has one of the best and most effective voice command systems we have thus far encountered.
For what is, effectively, a small coupe-shaped car, there are drawbacks; the rear space is relatively small and taller passengers in the back seats will not find longer journeys comfortable. Boot space too is tight at just 405 litres.
Up front is a different matter and the level of finesse and luxury on offer is exemplary. It just oozes class and looks like it was installed by craftsmen.
The quality of the materials as well as the comfort levels afforded by the commodious two front seats is truly top drawer and despite the best efforts of, say, the Chinese, little on offer on the market right now comes close to the near opulence of the front cabin.
Mention too must be made of the chunky faux leather steering wheel which greatly adds to the gravitas of the driving experience.
Not enough can be said about that experience – both on the road and simply by sitting into it – and this CLA is a definite stand-out on both fronts. Add to that the exterior styling, which is eye-catching and extraordinarily good looking and you have a package which leaves most rivals stone dead.
I have not been a particular fan of some of Mercedes recent styling exercises – some frumpy, others too boxy - whoever drew this one up should be given a medal. It has a kind of understated elegance that is completely magnetic and the colour of the tester (Pearl Grey Solid) adds to the overall feelgood factor here.
This is truly a magnificent car to drive and possibly the best electric we’ve encountered outside of the iX3 and the Toyota C-HR+ were reviewed last week. So much so that most of the new world cars we’re seeing from Asia could learn a thing or two.
It might be that the only thing it suffers from is its last-generation EV technology. Mercedes is set to put that right soon with a raft of new product on its new MMA platform which will, finally put it up there as a genuine challenge to the standards set by BMW.
For now, though, the CLA 200 BEV is a standard bearer in EV motoring with an unparalleled rating for driving pleasure.
