Mercedes CLA to debut at Beijing

Mercedes CLA to debut in Beijing (new A Class pic tured)

The Mercedes CLA – which is a four door coupe based on the new A Class – will debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April.

We’ve been stumbling around what to call Mercedes’ baby CLS for a long time. But it looks like things may have become clearer after Mercedes announced that they will debut a new small 4 door coupe at the Beijing Motor SHow – the Mercedes CLA.

It looks as though the CLA is the baby CLS we’ve been reporting on for ages, a car we have referred to as the CLC. But it now seems the CLC is a different car.

Both the Mercedes CLA and the CLC are based on the same platform as the new Mercedes A Class, but the CLA is a four-door coupe – which is the one arriving at Beijing – and the CLC is a two door coupe based on the Concept A and arriving in LA next month.

Assuming we’ve now got our heads round the ever expanding niche products in the Mercedes range, we expect the new Mercedes CLA to get much of the same engine and drivetrain options as the new A Class which, eventually, will mean everything from 1.8 litre, 108bhp diesel up to a the A250 with a 2.0 litre petrol turbo with twice as much power and even a 4WD AMG with 300bhp.

With the Mercedes CLA due to arrive at Beijing and the CLC in LA all the confusion should finally be sorted.

(44 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK