Mercedes Says Front-Drive Compacts to Be Brand's Most Popular Models
Designed to broaden Mercedes-Benz’s appeal, the all-new CLA will go on sale in September in the US with a starting price of $29,900.
The German automaker hopes that the CLA will help lead the way to the brand reclaiming the luxury crown, for good. In 2005, Mercedes lost the top spot in the luxury market to BMW, and then fell to third in 2011 to Audi. But things look to turn the corner for Mercedes, as the introduction of the CLA will surely capture a whole new group of buyers and enthusiasts.
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“From a volume point of view, the extended compact car family will become our biggest model line,” said Joachim Schmidt, sales and marketing chief for Mercedes. “And the family will expand further in the next generation.”
At least five new models, including the CLA and a new compact SUV, will all be based on a new front-wheel drive design to help the compact car push into the market. But it’s not just price that will attract customers to the CLA, which is over $2,650 cheaper than the BMW 3-Series, it’s the styling and performance it has to offer at just $29,900.
Of course, Audi plans to counter with its A3 sedan, but with only 140 hp to offer compared to the CLA’s 211 hp, it’s got a bit of ground to make up.
Researcher IHS Automotive predicts that the CLA will add almost 36,000 vehicles to sales for the brand.
GALLERY: 2014 Mercedes CLA
[Source: Automotive News Europe]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Good grief! The 2014 Mercedes CLA is a hideous looking machine.