2023 Mercedes CLA unveiled with electrified engine. Should it return to India?

Mercedes-Benz has uncovered the new CLA coupe with restyled approach and a greener powertrain. The updated Mercedes-Benz CLA coupe gets a host of exterior updates and new technologies onboard. The car has been launched as a coupe, Shooting Brake and a high-performing AMG variant. The AMG variants of the CLA are available in two trims - AMG CLA 35 and AMG CLA 45. The German luxury car brand has not revealed anything about the updated CLA range's pricing, but it has hinted that this car would start reaching dealerships later this year.

Speaking about the updates adorned by the Mercedes-Benz CLA facelift, the four-door coupe gets a new front fascia and rear profile. The redesigned front profile has received a revised radiator grille with a star pattern, while the updated rear profile comes with a new diffuser. Also, it gets restyled graphics in the LED headlamps and LED taillights. Apart from that, the updated CLA also comes with a new colour theme, dubbed Hyper Blue. Besides that, there is the newly available hue Starling Blue. All these redesigning touches have given the coupe-styled sedan a sportier and more premium vibe, claims Mercedes-Benz.

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Besides the exterior, the cabin of the Mercedes-Benz CLA too has received a host of updates. The automaker claims that it blends technology with luxury in a perfect manner. One big update inside the cabin is the new dual 10.25-inch displays, famously known as MBUX hyper screen, combining the instrument cluster and the touchscreen infotainment system. The steering wheel comes upholstered in Nappa leather as standard, while the AMG variant gets a heated steering wheel for the first time.

Other changes inside the cabin include dark carbon trims, open pore brown linden wood or brown microfibre elements. The brown microfibre is available for the AMG variants only. The interior colour options are black, macchiato beige and safe grey. The AMG version gets Bahia brown, titanium grey pearl-black and red-black shade options. The automaker claims that the new CLA's cabin contains several sustainable elements built from recycled materials, which comes as part of the brand's target to achieve carbon neutrality.

Besides a plush cabin and a restyled nicer exterior, the new CLA has received major updates on the powertrain front as well. It gets a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine for power source combined with a new 48-volt electric motor, which helps the CLA with enhanced range and reduced overall carbon emissions. The ICE power mill is capable of churning out 221 hp of peak power, plus 13 hp extra from the electric motor. The car is capable of sprinting 0-100 kmph in 6.3 seconds.

In the AMG variants, the CLA 35 and CLA 45 generate 302 hp and 416 hp maximum power, respectively. These high-performance CLA models come with AMG Speedshift DCT 8G dual-clutch transmission, which enables the CLA 35 to sprint 0-100 kmph in just 4.8 seconds and CLA 45 in just four seconds flat.