20140726

Mercedes-Benz launches the CLA 45 AMG in India

If the sight and sound of an AMG makes you go ‘Ah My God!’ but you don’t have more than a crore to shell out, fret not. Mercedes-Benz launched the CLA 45 AMG in India earlier this week just for people like you. Continuing its product onslaught that shows no signs of slowing down, Mercedes-Benz has priced the CLA 45 AMG at INR 68.5 Lakhs ex-showroom New Delhi, making it the most affordable AMG model in the Indian market.

Based on the Modular Front Architecture that also underpins the A-Class, B-Class and the soon-to-be-launched GLA crossover, the CLA completes Merc’s compact front-wheel drive lineup globally.


The CLA is a visual stunner. Up front, it borrows heavily from the A-Class as evident from the profile of the headlights and grille. The detailing in the lights are slightly different though and, atleast in the AMG variant, the grille is devoid of those diamond pins that created quite an impact in the A-Class. From the profile and the rear, the CLA takes a completely different approach and looks like a scaled-down version of the CLS, which is a good thing. The swoopy curves, the frameless doors, the arched roofline and the sexy taillights combine together and makes the CLA look brilliant. Being an AMG, visual embellishments are aplenty in the form of an aggressive front bumper with bigger air dams, twin-slatted grille, 18-inch wheels, side skirts, quad exhausts and a racy diffuser in the rear bumper.


The interiors are heavily inspired by the A-Class too, which is understandable as this car is based on the popular hatchback. AMG touches inside include an Alcantara-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium pedals, sporty Recaro bucket seats with contrasting red stitching, bright red seat belts, brushed silver inserts in the dashboard and a stubby gear-selector in the center console. As expected from a Mercedes-Benz, safety is accorded top priority and the CLA 45 AMG is loaded with an array of safety features and electronic driving aids that the German brand is renowned for, including seven airbags, PRE-SAFE system and a 3-stage Electronic Stability Program with Curve Dynamic Assist.


Under the hood, the CLA 45 AMG comes fitted with the most powerful, series-produced four cylinder engine in the planet. This 2.0-liter, direct injection, turbocharged petrol engine produces a whopping 355 bhp of power at 6000 rpm and a staggering 450 Nm of torque between 2250 to 5000 rpm. Coupled with the SPEEDSHIFT 7-speed AMG automatic transmission and the 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive system, the CLA 45 AMG boasts an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds. That’s some serious performance from a four-cylinder inline engine!

With this launch, the Mercedes-Benz AMG portfolio in India now include the CLA 45 and E 63 sedans, the SLK 55 roadster and the ML 63, GL 63 and G 63 offroaders.

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