The advent of the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the ideal opportunity for them to spawn its first-ever sedan variant but hold on a minute, didn't they have their four-door equivalent, the CLA-Class? Yes, the CLA-Class, now on its second generation, is classified as a four-door coupe, a niche made by themselves, but in reality, it's basically a four-door saloon full stop. So, with the first-ever A-Class sedan and the second-generation CLA in the fray, they're like the left and right Twix bars, so what's the difference?
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| 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan |
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| 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class |
For starters, the A-Class Sedan, priced at 28,727 Euros plus tax and delivery, and the second-generation CLA-Class, priced at 31,476 Euros plus tax and delivery, are really like the left Twix and the right Twix because while they have the same sweet taste, the two sides are different by their opinions and that concerns customers who are itching to buy a Mercedes-Benz sedan but not having enough budget to buy a C-Class.
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| 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan |
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| 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class |
Of course, the pricing between them set them apart because the first-ever A-Class Sedan is basically cheaper to own than the CLA but by probing the style department, that is a different story because the new CLA is almost better looking than the A-Class Sedan because of its front face and sloping roofline but the backstory is rather the opposite of course because while the new CLA's rear design spoils the already good looks, the A-Class Sedan's rear is rather conservative indeed and you'll spend minutes staring at its back because that really is a Mercedes with a bold statement for the city slickers.
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| 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan interior |
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| 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class interior |
On the inside job, the A-Class Sedan and the new CLA are in a stalemate because while their dashboards look different, their gadgets still work like it was meant to be and creature comforts are almost identical because of its almost identical legroom, which is nice indeed for businesspeople who had a "vice" on their title to get accommodated with, and the almost identical boot space big enough for a golf cart on a trip to a country club at Quezon. They even come with the rather brilliant but annoying MBUX multimedia system with voice commands that works well with drivers living in an era where they can talk to the likes of Alexa and Siri but if you were a passenger sitting on the sweet spot, you may find that you might get annoyed upon hearing Mom and Dad toying around with the "Hey, Mercedes" thingamajig and that will drive you a bit mad.
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| 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan |
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| 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class |
Back at the Twix story, it seems that the Mercedes equivalents of the left Twix and the right Twix are offered with a choice of a M282 four-cylinder petrol engine with cylinder shutoff, M260 petrol engine with variable valve timing system, Euro 6d-certified OM 654q diesel engine, and the entry-level OM 608 diesel engine, the one to avoid for diesel-sceptic Europeans.
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| 2019 Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan |
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| 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA35 |
Of course, if they want performance, there are AMG 35 4MATIC versions as well, both are powered by a 306PS 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7-speed double-clutch gearbox, capable of going 0-100kph in less than five seconds and top speed limited to 250kph. Although no torque vectoring in sight, they're still decent to enjoy driving them but anyway no time for that, let's get back to their normal versions and although different at looks, their dynamics are fairly similar. They handle well, they cruise well, they're both refined, quiet, subtle, and overall, both the new A-Class Sedan and the second-generation CLA are nothing short in comparison, as are the list of highly-advanced safety systems worth noticing.
Like the left and the right Twix, the A-Class Sedan and the new CLA-Class are worth trying and deciding for themselves. Of course, the A-Class Sedan is cheaper to own than the new CLA-Class but the pricing can be a bit more complicating than that because while they look different in every single way, they both accommodate occupants rather well, they both drive well, and they're both technologically advanced but annoying to some at their sweet spot. As the saying goes, try both and you decide.
Photo: Daimler AG
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