2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 Arrives Later This Year With Over 300 Horsepower

The AMG variant packs 81 more horsepower than the standard model

The CLA 35 gets quite a performance boost on the standard model.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA is a good-looking car, as befits its four-door coupe design. For those looking to get in on the entry-level side of Mercedes ownership, it was until recently the least expensive option as well. Like the new A-Class sedan, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 has arrived to give those entry-level buyers a lot more punch.

2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35

Look at it this way: the standard CLA 250 uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. That manages 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. And that’s fine, in a middle of the road sort of way. It’s reasonably potent, but those aren’t numbers that will set your hair on fire. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35, on the other hand, makes 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough, Mercedes claims, for the car to hit 60 in 4.6 seconds.

To put that substantially increased power down, the CLA 35 has standard all-wheel drive. What’s more, it comes mated exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. On the styling front — especially in Sun Yellow — it’s a sharper and sleeker alternative to the standard A 35 sedan.

Making it an AMG

Apart from the power bump, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 shows off more aggressive bodywork from the standard CLA. Here, you get 18-inch AMG wheels (19-inch wheels are optional) and the traditional AMG grille. Around the back, you get a small spoiler on the trunk as well as a diffuser surrounding dual AMG exhaust pipes. Speaking of that exhaust, the CLA 35 has an exhaust flap which will vary the tone depending on which drive mode you select.

Inside, the interior is the standard Mercedes fare we’ve come to expect. There’s a 10.25-inch infotainment display with the brand’s new MBUX system on board. Drivers can pick from three AMG-specific display modes — Classic, Sport and ‘Supersport’ — and 64-color ambient lighting also comes standard. However, one bespoke feature that system includes is onboard telemetry data.

AMG Track Pace comes as an option on the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35. It uses the MBUX system to record more than 80 specific vehicle measures, including speed and acceleration. From there, the driver can use the data to track things like their best 1/4-mile and lap times using GPS data and the car’s onboard sensors.

2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35
The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 makes 302 horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.

Availability

Mercedes has not announced pricing for the CLA 35 just yet. However, it will debut next week at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Beyond that, it will go on sale in late 2019 alongside the new Mercedes-AMG A 35 sedan. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates!