The 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA Debuts Next Week with Motion-Activated Interior Lights

Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz

From Car and Driver

UPDATE 1/3/19: Mercedes has released another teaser of the CLA, this time a short video that shows off motion-activated dome lighting on the interior. We have updated the story and added the video below.

Lights on with a simple hand move. The Interior Assistant in the new CLA. pic.twitter.com/ZEonfLxfny

- Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) January 2, 2019

Mercedes-Benz has announced that the second generation of its compact CLA-class four-door coupe will make its debut at the CES show in Las Vegas in early January. "But wait," you might say. "Isn't the new A-class sedan basically the same thing as the CLA? Why make a new one?" Well, dear reader, we are here to answer that question.

The simplest explanation: The CLA is a "coupe," and the A-class is a "sedan." Mercedes' four-door-coupe designation is a divisive one, but there's no denying that the new CLA's swooping roofline (complete with frameless door glass) and more aggressive style will set it apart from the more practical A-class. The current CLA is around three inches longer than the new A-class as well, and we expect that the next-gen model will be a bit bigger still.

While the A-class is available only in A220 guise, with a 188-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, we bet the CLA will be offered as a CLA250. In Europe, the A250 makes 221 horsepower from the same four-cylinder engine, and a more powerful engine would further distinguish the CLA from its A-class sibling. Front-wheel drive will be standard, with 4Matic all-wheel drive as an option. And two AMG versions of the CLA-a CLA35, which will be close in specs to the A35, and a CLA45 with about 400 horsepower-will follow shortly behind the standard car.

Mercedes says it decided to show the CLA at CES because it will feature an "evolved" version of the company's new MBUX infotainment system, which made its debut with the A-class a year ago. The company says that despite the system's newness, MBUX will receive a number of updates that will be introduced at the show. The new MBUX Interior Assistant uses gesture controls to operate different interior features, including the interior lighting as shown in the video above.

The new CLA should go on sale in the middle of 2019 as a 2020 model, and a slight price increase from the 2019 CLA250's $34,095 starting point is likely.

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