2014 Mercedes CLA Reinvents the Premium Sports Sedan

As Mercedes tries to appeal to a new generation of luxury buyers it has built a car perfectly crafted to achieve that goal.

Making its official world premier at the Geneva Motor Show this week, the CLA combines technology, efficiency, luxury, style and performance.

Starting with the look, it’s borrows heavily from big brother CLS, with a coupe-style, despite the use of four doors. Amazingly, the design as incredibly aerodynamic with an industry leading 0.22 cd drag coefficient.

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As for the hardware under the hood, the CLA will come offered in numerous turbocharged gasoline and diesel options, though expect only the gas versions for North America. A base CLA180 makes 122 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder and is capable of a 0-62 mph time of 9.3 seconds. Moving up the scale is the CLA200 with a another turbocharged 1.6-liter making 156 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque with an 8.6 second 0-62 mph time. Finally, there’s the CLA250 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter boasting a much-improved 6.7 second sprint time thanks to 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

With a 6-speed manual standard (at least in Europe), we’re more likely to only see the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (not a bad replacement by any means) as standard in North America.

A front-wheel drive Mercedes, a new version of the brand’s 4Matic AWD system will be available.

With a typically stylish interior, the CLA will come equipped with the latest in modern tech features including one to seamlessly integrate your iPhone into the car with full Siri voice control. It will also allow the driver to bring social media apps like Facebook and Twitter into the car.

Finally, on the safety front, Mercedes will offer the CLA with its new Collision Prevention Assist Plus system, which can autonomously apply the brakes if a collision is deemed imminent at speeds as high as 200 km/h (124 mph). For those not on the autobahn, it will also work in slower moving traffic, applying the bakes at speeds below 19 mph if there is a stopped vehicle ahead, and actually bringing the car to a complete stop from speeds of 12 mph.

Set to go on sale as early as April in Europe, expect it later this year for North America. And the best part? It starts at just $29,900!