April 17th is the day of the reveal, two days after the unveiling of a near-production concept that previews the Mercedes-Benz GLB crossover. As far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned, the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine shouldn’t differ from the powerplants in the hatchback and sedan.
302 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque from 3,000 rpm are a-OK for a compact car with 4Matic all-wheel drive, seven forward gears, and two clutches for the transmission. Given these figures, Mercedes-AMG matches the likes of the BMW X2 M35i, Audi S3, and Volkswagen Golf R.
Based on the CLA 250 AMG Line, the CLA 35 levels up to 13.7-inch brake rotors and four-piston brake calipers. The suspension also happens to be stiffer, and as an optional extra, an adaptive suspension will also be available to order. Faster steering and AMG Dynamic Select are certain too, bringing the point home in regard to the sporting nature of Affalterbach.
Pricing remains a mystery at this point, and over in the United States, the A 220 4Matic Sedan is the closest we get to the CLA 35. The more practical but less powerful model is $34,500 excluding destination while the CLA 250 4Matic and CLA 45 level up to $35,100 and $53,100 in this part of the world. In other words, expect the CLA 35 to retail at more than $40,000, probably $45,000 if Mercedes-AMG is generous with the standard equipment.
