Honey, I've shrunk the Merc.
Mercedes-Benz, a brand we tend to associate with big, luxurious machines, has entered the small-car market in a big way.
Until now, Benz's budget offerings have been distinctly different, in shape and style, from the marque's more familiar luxury sedans.
The funky A-Class - the so-called Baby Benz that's been with us for a decade and a half and is now in its third generation - has always been a hatchback, and a quirky one at that. It's very distinct from its larger siblings wearing the three-point star.
Likewise, the B-Class - the other Benz aimed at sub-$50,000 buyers - uses the same flat-floor, five-door configuration as the A-Class.
But now, Benz's designers have been given the chance to demonstrate their small-car styling expertise on a different canvas: a compact, sporty sedan called the CLA.
It brings all the flair and brand appeal of Benz's full-size sedan range to the small-car category - a segment that has been dominated by hatchbacks, including the A-Class, BMW 1-Series and Audi's A3 hatch and sportback.
But in the space of a few weeks both Mercedes and German rival Audi have unveiled small luxury sedans - Benz with the CLA and Audi with its A3 sedan launched in January.
Both are sporty, sexy and well priced enough to make a major impact.
Although we're yet to fully road-test the Audi A3, first impressions suggest the two models will be fierce rivals. The Audi enjoys an edge on price and the Benz on power and technology.
Both offer something completely different in this very competitive piece of the market, where ambitious young professionals and downsizing empty-nesters are proving a very lucrative clientele.
Which brings us to our test in the entry-level CLA - the $49,900 CLA200 - using a 1.6-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine to push out a perky 115 kilowatts while achieving impressive fuel efficiency of just 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
It's one of three variants initially offered in this model - there's also a bigger-engined CLA250 (two-litre turbo four with 155 kilowatts) and the phenomenal CLA45 - an AMG-tweaked version of the two-litre turbo four that boasts one of the most powerful four-cylinder engines offered in a production machine.
Its 265 kilowatt (kW) and 450 Newton metres (Nm) will punch it past the speed limit in a blurry 4.6 seconds, putting the factory-improved CLA into the true supercar category, yet it does so with an official thirst of 6.9L/100km. Extraordinary, although its $86,000 price tag might offset the fuel savings.
While I'm dying to drive that pocket rocket, we were pleasantly surprised by the least-powerful member of the CLA range. The CLA200's 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder engine is a free-spinning, impressively responsive unit whose output seems more than the stated 115kW. It's torquey enough to move smartly off the mark and climb hills effortlessly and it revs freely without ever feeling stressed or overworked.
The use of wheel-mounted gearshift paddles - standard on all CLA models - helps keep the small-capacity engine in its sweet spot.
The bigger-engined CLA250, using the same two-litre turbo four found in Benz's bigger C-Class, promises even more driving engagement with its 155kW and grunty 350Nm of torque.
That model, though, costs a substantial $14 grand over the CLA200, which in standard form offers kit that includes thermotronic air-conditioning, a collision avoidance system, blind spot assist, attention assist, lane-keeping assist, 18-inch alloys, a smart colour screen with MAP Pilot navigation and reversing camera.
The CLA250 adds heated electric leather sports seats with memory, an intelligent lighting system, sports pedals and steering wheel, and an AMG styling package.
Styling-wise, the CLA impresses even in standard form and follows the same path as its similarly named bigger sibling, the swoopy CLS, blending the sleek lines of a coupe with the practicality of four doors.
Despite its compact size, the CLA manages to fulfill those two conflicting qualities admirably. It certainly looks the part with its elegant, clean lines; yet interior space and functionality is surprisingly generous for a comparatively small machine.
One acquaintance who normally drives a bigger C-Class Benz commented on the CLA's roominess, not to mention the high-quality appeal of its cabin. We couldn't help but share their enthusiasm, given the CLA's high standard of finish and its enjoyable driving dynamics.
Its handling is particularly sharp - with light, nimble changes of direction and wonderfully accurate and direct steering with great feedback. Yet its suspension amply shields the occupants from road imperfections and is untroubled by uneven surfaces.
With the transmission clicked into sport mode it punches smartly out of corners and has ample acceleration for overtaking or darting into gaps in city traffic. On the open road it cruises quietly and frugally, thanks to the long legs of its seven-speed automatic transmission.
Benz says the car's aerodynamics, including a record low drag coefficient, also help its fuel efficiency at highway speeds. Around town an engine stop-start system helps further trim its thirst.
Rather than the traditional console-mounted gearshift, the CLA uses a stalk-mounted gearshift lever, increasingly common in Mercedes vehicles and which takes a bit of adjusting to. Along with an electronic park brake, the absence of a gearshift lever helps free up a large amount of space between the two front seats, where some useful storage spots and cupholders have been placed.
Cabin presentation is smart and modern - the instrument panel features alloy bezels on the main dials and a useful and intuitive trip computer and vehicle information system in between.
The colour sat-nav and audio control screen sits atop the centre stack with modern graphics and a vivid display, while retro-looking turbine-style air vents are both functional and attractive.
Mercedes says that as well as Bluetooth connectivity and music streaming, its Digital Drive Style app will allow access to Facebook, Twitter and internet radio, as well as a location-sharing feature called Glympse which will allow the driver to share their location with selected friends.
Despite its compact size, the CLA manages impressive rear-seat legroom - we were able to accommodate two six-footers front and rear - and boot space is also usefully deep, if not particularly wide.
The seats, too, are impressive, with an integrated headrest giving a sophisticated, sporty feel.
The Mercedes marketing material boasts about the car's "breathtakingly sporty proportions and a powerfully dynamic idiom", saying it illustrates a new, more modern face that the German maker wants to portray.
It's a design language we've seen on the latest versions of the CLS, flagship S-Class and upgraded E-Class in recent months. The CLA, though, takes that to a smaller, more manageable size (and price).
In other words, it's small but perfectly formed.
MERCEDES-BENZ CLA200
DETAILS: Four-door, five-seat compact sports coupe with turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and seven-speed automatic transmission.
TECH STUFF: 1.6-litre, fuel injected turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
FEATURES: Collision prevention assist, attention assist, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, adaptive high beam assist, engine stop-start system; colour control screen with satellite navigation and reversing camera; iPhone integration with Bluetooth and audio streaming, live traffic information, Facebook and Twitter connectivity, leather seats, electric windows and mirrors, thermotronic airconditioning.
THIRST: 5.7L/100km
VERDICT: Legendary Benz style in a smaller, affordable package.
BOTTOM LINE: $49,900 (plus onroad costs).
