New 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA breaks cover

ABU DHABI: The all-new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA broke cover earlier than expected as leaked photos of the car were widely circulated on the internet hours before its official release. The pictures have since been removed from the automobile portal that first released them, but not before the images went viral. Gorden Wagener, Mercedes-Benz chief of design, also posted a photo of the slightly exposed CLA. But the pictures revealed the four-door luxury coupe in all its glory.

The 2020 version of the car appears like a shrunken CLS. The styling, however, is not drastically different from its predecessor. But the vehicle looks much sleeker, courtesy the redesigned taillights and headlights. The Mercedes CLA 2020 version is 0.07 inches lower, 2.08 inches wider, and 1.89 inches longer than its older sibling. The cabin, as a result, offers more leg space. There’s also more room for shoulder and elbow movement. Experts opine that the company has increased the car in dimensions to make it stand apart from the A-Class, which is Mercedes’ entry-level sedan car.

The interior of the new car from the German automobile major has improved significantly and is more technologically advanced. The 2020 CLA is fitted with an MBUX dual-screen infotainment system which is borrowed from the A-class. The system has a new ‘interior assistant’ feature which allows the driver to activate the car’s interior lighting by using a simple hand gesture. That aside, the new driver controls include lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and emergency braking.

The 2020 CLA is hauled by a four-cylinder, turbocharged 2.0-litre motor that outputs 221 hp and 258 lbft torque. The Affalterbach headquartered company, however, has revealed that other engines would be available as an option for different markets when the car officially hits the streets later this year. The engine will be mated to either an all-wheel or front-wheel drive with automatic and manual transmission systems.   

The teaser images also revealed a number of cosmetic details about the new car. These include orange accents both on the interior and exterior and portions of the Edition body kit. The 2020 version of the CLA gets sweptback headlamps, a diamond-pattern grille, multi-spoke alloy wheels, and LED taillights.