Mercedes' new CLA 250+ Sport is its most efficient and intelligent car ever but is spoiled by ‘chavvy' feature
GONE TOO STAR?
GONE TOO STAR? Mercedes' new CLA 250+ Sport is its most efficient and intelligent car ever but is spoiled by 'chavvy' feature
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
IF no one else has the balls to say it, I will.
Mercedes is in danger of becoming the Burberry of the car world.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
5
With this CLA, Mercedes is in danger of becoming the Burberry of the car world
Credit: Supplied
5
There are 142 three-pointed stars in that front grille
Credit: Supplied
5
The Mercedes CLA offers luxurious design, advanced technology and innovative features
Credit: Supplied
A leeetle bit chavvy.
Just look at all the three-pointed stars on the new CLA.
It's absolutely coated in them.
There are 142 in that front grille, another 158 in the fancy glass sunroof, plus many more on the wheels, lights and dashboard.
I gave up counting at 330. THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY!!!
They should stick a MERCEDES sun strip on it. Y'know, just in case someone thinks it's a BMW.
Strip away all that Burberryness and you're left with a truly excellent motor car.
The most efficient Mercedes ever.
The most intelligent Mercedes ever.
Yet it's also the cheapest electric Mercedes ever.
Mercedes reveals its new luxury EV with 'superscreen' passengers can play video games or watch Netflix on while on move
It's got a 484-mile battery by the WLTP test. We nudged 400 in the real world.
A clever two-speed auto gearbox for added efficiency.
All sorts of aero tricks, including underbody wheel spoilers, to help it slice through the air.
Rapid 800v charging to suck up 200 miles of juice in just ten minutes.
So it's a proper long-range cruiser that's easy to live with.
There's a video camera above that 14in central screen for Teams meetings.
You can watch YouTube and Disney+.
Play Fortnite and Angry Birds.
All of the above when parked up, obviously.
There's a third passenger screen coming later that will cover up some of those bleedin' stars.
The 'Hey Mercedes' personal assistant wants to be your friend.
We asked her to 'play Raye'.
She did.
We asked her to 'name that statue of the naked ladies to our left'.
She did.
We asked her: 'Should I buy a Mercedes CLA over a BMW?'
She's been taught well.
She replied: 'Choosing between a Mercedes CLA over a BMW ultimately depends on your preferences and needs. The Mercedes CLA offers luxurious design, advanced technology and innovative features.
'If you seek more details about the Mercedes CLA feel free to ask.'
Hang on. I'm having a proper conversation with a car. Like Michael Knight and KITT. Just not chasing baddies.
5
The CLA comes with all sorts of aero tricks, including underbody wheel spoilers, to help it slice through the air.
Credit: Supplied
5
Oh look - another 158 three-pointed stars in the fancy glass sunroof
Credit: Supplied
If you're rubbish at parking, no stress.
Press a button and watch it shimmy in and out of tight spaces on its own.
It's the first Mercedes to have a front trunk, 100 litres of extra storage space under the bonnet.
Out on the open road, CLA is everything you'd expect a Merc to be.
Quiet. Sophisticated. Effortless.
And so hovercraft-smooth you'd think it has air suspension.
It doesn't. Steel. That's engineering at its best for you.
Acceleration is nicely calibrated. Not silly fast. But enough. AMG will add a bit of spice later.
Actually, that brings me nicely to other versions.
There's a smaller 335-mile battery on the way, an estate, 4WDs, and a new 1.5-litre petrol hybrid for those not ready to switch to electric yet.
Bonus. The petrol doesn't have all the illuminated stars on the front grille because it needs more cooling.
So it's less Burberry.
Tone down all the bling and I'd give it five stars.
KEY FACTS: MERCEDES CLA 250+ SPORT
Price: £45,615
Battery: 85kWh
Power: 272hp
0-62mph: 6.7 secs
Top speed: 130mph
Range: 484 miles
Charging: 22 mins
Out: September
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Barefoot Investor Scott Pape exposes child's selfish act after they were given a car: 'Disaster'
The Barefoot Investor has dished out some tough love to a mother frustrated by her 30-year-old son's lack of gratitude after she gave him a car. Fed-up mum Lesley wrote to Scott Pape, describing her son as a 'disaster'. She explained that when he turned 18, she gave up the very first car she ever owned so he could enjoy some freedom and independence. 'It was a great little car with full service records and a reliable mechanic,' she wrote in her letter, published in his weekly newsletter. But five years later, her son dismissed the car as 'a hunk of junk'. Lesley reminded him: 'It wasn't junk when I gave it to you.' Now, after buying his third cheap car, Lesley said her son is 'heavily hinting' that she should hand over her current Mercedes - a car worth less than $10,000. Lesley told the Barefoot Investor she had no intention of giving him the Mercedes, but admitted her son's ingratitude had 'robbed her of the joy of giving' and begged for his advice. 'He hasn't asked outright, but the hints are constant,' Lesley wrote. 'After years of ingratitude and fleeting thanks, there's no way I'm handing it over. I've learned my lesson. 'But here's what hurts: I no longer feel joy in giving. I'm scared of being taken advantage of again.' In his reply, Mr Pape explained the issue was not a 'son thing' but a human experience, claiming people do not value an item they have not earned. 'You gave him your beloved first car, filled with memories and sacrifice. To him, it was just… free,' Mr Pape wrote. 'That stings. But it doesn't mean he's ungrateful about everything. It just means your giving needs boundaries.' Mr Pape advised Lesley to kindly but firmly shut down the idea of handing over her Mercedes to her son the next time he decides to hint at getting the vehicle. 'About the Merc? Next time he hints, shut it down kindly but firmly: 'Mate, I'm keeping it. You'll value your next car more if you buy it yourself.',' Pape wrote. 'Don't let his hints rob you of your joy in giving to others who appreciate it. The best things in life are earned – and that's a lesson he still needs to learn.'
Reuters
19 hours ago
- Reuters
Hamilton to start from the pit lane in Belgium
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 27 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix from the pit lane with a new power unit after qualifying only 16th, Ferrari said. The seven-times Formula One world champion won at Spa with Mercedes last year but has had a nightmare so far, qualifying 18th in Friday's sprint qualifying and finishing 15th in Saturday's 100km race. Hamilton has won five times in Belgium and has been on the podium in all but two of the races he has finished at the longest circuit on the calendar. The Briton, who moved to the Italian team in January and has yet to stand on the podium for them, apologised to Ferrari on Saturday for a performance he said was unacceptable. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli will also start from the pit lane after those teams also changed engine components. Sunday's race is set to be wet. The Formula Two feature race started behind the safety car while the Formula Three race was cancelled entirely due to the conditions.
Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton made his disappointment known after huge blow at Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton was left to rue yet another poor qualifying performance for Ferrari in the Belgian Grand Prix after the British icon was knocked out in Q1 on Saturday Any hopes Lewis Hamilton has of defending his title at Spa suffered a major blow following Saturday's qualifying disaster. And it marks the second consecutive Belgian Grand Prix that has witnessed the Formula 1 legend embroiled in drama. Ferrari required their driver to deliver an improved lap time during his final Q1 attempt to progress to the next phase. And he managed precisely that in the dying moments to climb to seventh position. However, officials struck off the time and eliminated Hamilton after ruling he had violated track limits. This resulted in his Q1 exit having also crashed out in the opening phase of sprint qualifying. Hamilton, 40, had benefited from the chaos last year when then-Mercedes teammate George Russell claimed victory before being stripped of the win when his vehicle came in under-weight. This elevated second-place Hamilton to first on the podium, though he still took time to express solidarity with his former partner despite his moment of glory. "Mixed feelings for today's result," he posted on social media as he put the squad's achievement first. "Obviously happy to get the win but I feel for George and it's disappointing for the team not to get the one-two. "A lot of positives to take from today though. At the start of the weekend, we didn't expect to be at the front or the pace we had, so it's great to see just how much progress has been made and that we are in the fight. We take all these positives with us into the break and will come back a stronger team ready to keep the momentum going." At that point, the surprise boost meant Hamilton secured his second consecutive victory having also topped the podium at Silverstone shortly before. Yet it was clear from his remarks the seasoned driver harboured genuine worries about the team missing out. Those concerns surfaced again after Ferrari suffered disappointment due to his shortfall at Spa this weekend. Hamilton was swift to offer his apologies to colleagues after failing to deliver as planned. "Not particularly," he replied when questioned if he was starting to feel settled with Ferrari's latest modifications. "I was the same as I was for the rest of the weekend. We made some changes, the car didn't feel terrible. "I think it was even tougher for us. We had to put a second set [of soft tyres] on just to get through Q1. "Then from my side, another mistake, so I've really got to look internally. I've got to apologise to my team, because that's just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s. It's a very, very poor performance from myself." Hamilton suffered a spin in his SF-25 during the sprint qualifying on Friday, where he managed only the 18th fastest time. The mishap occurred when Hamilton locked his rear tyres and spun, an incident he later referred to as a first in his career, attributed to a new component on his car. Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc had a much better run, finishing Saturday's qualifying in P3. This places him in a strong position to vie for the team's first win of 2025, while Hamilton's quest for his maiden podium finish in Ferrari colours looks set to continue.
