Have you been drooling over the Mercedes-Benz CLS but can’t afford it? Don’t worry! The second-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA might just be the answer you are looking for. Its form factor would lead you to believe that it is, essentially, a shrunken CLS. And that, by no means, is a bad thing! The new CLA Coupé made its world premiere at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and, there is no other way of saying this – it does look good!

The CLA has entered its second generation, and for that, it has grown in almost all dimensions. The bigger wheelbase increased length and width has made more room for passengers in both the rows. However, the boot space has gone down by 10 litres and can now gulp 460 litres of stuff. As for the wheel and tyre sizes, they now range from 205/60 R 16 to 225/40 R 19. Mercedes-Benz claims that with widened front and rear tracks, accompanied by a lowered centre of gravity, the new CLA is set up to deliver the sportiest driving pleasure of all the new-gen models from its own stable.

Inside the cabin, the immediate attention grabber is the wide glass panel which stretches from behind the steering wheel to the centre of the dashboard. No points for guessing, the slab of glass houses the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system. As standard, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupé comes with two 7.0-inch displays – one of which acts as a digital instrument cluster and the other as the infotainment screen. The display sizes can be increased to 10.25 inches by paying a bit extra. The list of features also includes a colour head-up display, MBUX Interior Assist, voice control and Energising Coach.

Obviously, there are a bunch of assisting features for the driver as well. The new CLA can drive semi-autonomously in certain situations, thanks to the improved camera and radar systems which can see up to half-a-kilometre ahead. Mercedes-Benz is also offering features like Active Distance Assist Distronic, which is part of the optional Driving Assistance Package, auto emergency braking, lane change and keeping assist, brake assist and Pre-Safe Plus. To improve visibility, Multibeam LED headlamps are also on offer.

As of now, Mercedes-Benz has released the specifications of just a single variant – the CLA 250. It will house a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol mill which produces 225PS/350Nm and a 7-speed automatic transmission. By May this year, the Stuttgart-based automaker will introduce a range of petrol and diesel engines, which will be available with manual or dual-clutch gearboxes and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive.

After launching the new CLA in the USA and Europe, the new CLA will inevitably come to India as well. As before, it is expected to come with both petrol and diesel engine options, and both will be BS VI-compliant.

Note: All images in this story are of the limited-run Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupé Edition 1.