TV evangelists tell us "meerakuhls" happen. Maybe so. It is actually so when it comes to the seemingly limitless power being pulled out of limited displacement engines.
Have a look, for instance, at this Benz CLA 35 AMG. Or, rather, under its clamshell hood. You'll find not much ... in the way of cylinders or size.
Just four of them — and merely 2.0 liters.
But — somehow — 302 horsepower.
What It Is
The CLA is Mercedes' other small sedan.
It shares a basic platform with the entry-level A-Class sedan — and comes with nothing larger than a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It also starts out with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive (4Matic) available.
The main difference between the two is the CLA's "coupe-like" styling, which means a sharper windshield rake, a lowered roofline and a stretch of about six inches to add to the sleekness of its look.
Prices start at $36,650 for the front-wheel-drive CLA 250 with a 221 horsepower version of Mercedes' 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
Adding the optional 4Matic all-wheel-drive system raises the price of the CLA to $38,650 (versus $34,800 for a similarly equipped A220 4Matic).
The CLA 35 AMG is the hot one.
It gets the 302 horsepower version of the 2.0-liter engine, paired with a performance-calibrated version of the seven-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive. This one also sits even lower to the ground and gets additional functional and cosmetic AMG-specific flourishes.
It'll set you back $46,900.
What's New
The CLA gets a major makeover for 2020 — including freshened exterior and interior styling for all trims, several inches more backseat legroom, a stronger standard engine and a stronger top-of-the-line engine in the AMG 45.
What's Good
It has almost S-Class features — for about $40k less to start than the base price of an S-Class.
It's sexier looking — and more practical — than the more practical-looking A-Class sedan.
What's Not So Good
Looks cost more. The less-sleek A-Class starts out about $3k less.
The displacement of this car's gas tank (just 13 gallons) needs increasing.
You can get just about everything that's available in an E or an S ... except Mercedes' to-die-for massaging seats.
Under the Hood
Every CLA comes standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. There is no optional displacement. But there are three power levels.
Baseline is the CLA 250's lightly turbocharged version. It summons 221 horsepower (a bump up from 208 last year) and 258 foot-pounds of torque at 1,800 revolutions per minute.
The AMG 35 version has the same displacement 2.0-liter four, but with heavier turbocharging and higher-volume injectors among the numerous upgrades responsible for its stupendous 302 horsepower rating.
And its 4.6-second to 60 mph run.
On the Road
In its own way, the car is a kind of high-rent take on popular all-wheel-drive/turbocharged rally cars like the Subaru WRX — the boy racer for the boy who grew up but still likes to play when no one's looking.
Like other AMG-massaged Benzes, the CLA AMG comes with an active exhaust system that works like an extra turbo — with a kind of wastegate built into the pipes that releases backpressure in time with each of the seven-speed transmission's upshifts.
AMG versions of the CLA also get additional driver-selectable programs the non-AMG models don't — including the new Slippery setting and, naturally, Sport Plus, which ramps up everything from throttle tip-in to the aggressiveness of shift points and the furiouso look of the twin flat-panel display — which is something else that used to be found exclusively in the most expensive Benz models only. The backlighting shifts to reddish and displays boost, horsepower and torque.
At the Curb
It's interesting that the most stylish of the two As — the CLA — is also the more practical of the two.
At least for the moment.
The 2020 CLA — which is heavily updated — is about two inches longer overall than it was last year (184.4 inches versus 182.3 inches) and about six inches longer than the current A-Class sedan (179.1 inches).
Back seat legroom in the CLA has been increased to 33.9 inches versus 27.1 inches last year. It now has the same room for legs in the back as the A — and more room for stuff in its trunk, which is 11.6 cubic feet, versus 8.6 cubic feet in the current A220.
There is less headroom in the CLA — 38.5 inches for the driver and front seat passenger, sloping backward with that sexy roofline to 35.7 inches for the backseaters, versus 40.3 inches up front in the A sedan and 37.2 in the back.
However, the lower roofline can be compensated for by lowering the seat.
The Rest
One of the few things you can't get in a CLA (or an A) is a wagon. Or a hatch. Both are available in Europe.
You also can't get the massaging seats that are available in the more expensive Benzes.
The Bottom Line
It used to take a big engine to get big power.
It doesn't anymore.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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