I am test driving the 2021 AMG CLA 45 Coupe. Driving in the long fast highways in Florida, small streets in cute beach towns, and in the big city center of Orlando is always a pleasure when riding the fast and fancy AMG CLA 45.
The exterior of the 2021 AMG CLA 45 Coupe has a killer look that will impress the most demanding car aficionados.
2021 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Coupe
The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Coupe is an upgraded version of the sedan Mercedes-Benz CLA Class. This class was introduced in 2014 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and it has been successfully digested by the automotive competitive market, making the CLA AMG one of our favorite coupes.
This AMG coupe looks very attractive, it has a beautiful exterior with curvy shapes and an elegant front-grill that makes you want to drive it again and again. Passengers and people on the street will be extremely appealed to the CLA 45 Coupe, it turns heads.
This AMG coupe is known for many as the “baby AMG car” due to its smooth and extremely appealing profile. It is not a large sedan and it has a very elegant and sporty style inside and outside.
The AMG CLA 45 is very popular due to its efficiently low fuel economy, sophisticated design, and affordable price for this type of luxury coupe, priced around $55K.
All CLA trim models are priced at a very reasonable price with a range from $37K to $55K, but only the two top of the line models CLA 45 and CLA 35 are AMG powered. If we think about price, luxury, brand name, and value, the CLA 45 or 35 are two amazing models. The main limitation a car buyer can encounter to buy a CLA car is its limited space. Especially less interior space, but also less cargo space what is expected with any coupe automobile.
AMG Performance Brand of Mercedes Benz
AMG is the performance brand of Mercedes Benz, AMG CLA 35 not only looks amazing but also is fully equipped with all the advanced performance features and equipment typical of AMG.
The AMG CLA is stylish, performance-ready, and it will give you so much driving pleasure that will be difficult to stop driving this curvy coupe. Mercedes Benz has produced a win-win buy, a great luxury-performance vehicle for a very low-value price.
AMG Performance, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive, use a fully variable all-wheel drive with AMG TORQUE CONTROL
The interior of the CLA 45 matches the AMG power of this coupe with an advanced digital cockpit with the new MBUX voice assistant system.
The Mercedes Benz the AMG CLA is a gateway into the Mercedes-AMG world, this could be a great entry-level car for those wanting to explore and invest in upper AMG models in the future. The AMG 45 coupe offers an attractive entry into the world of AMG driving performance for a very affordable price.
When you drive an amazing AMG performance-ready like the CLA 45 coupe you get a feel of the advanced high end performance and beauty.
Every Mercedes Benz vehicle with the letters AMG is a fast-car ready for performance, with optimized engines and special features, aerodynamic bodies, high-speed capabilities, driver comfort, and exterior design to complete a luxury performance car.
It has been 50 years of AMG performance evolution with all the characteristics developed by AMG, making the 2021 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Coupe one of the best coupes in the market with a range of price near 55K.
Highlights for the 2021 AMG CLA 45 Coupe:
- Handcrafted AMG 2.0L inline-4 turbo engine
- 382 hp / 354 lb-ft
- 4.0 seconds Acceleration, 0-60 mph
- AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8-speed dual-clutch transmission
- 20 MPG City / 29 MPG Highway fuel economy
Highway fuel economy - ECO Start/Stop system
- MPG: 20 City / 29 Hwy
- AMG Performance 4MATIC+ fully variable all-wheel drive with
AMG TORQUE CONTROL - passenger capacity: 5
- Panorama roof
- Power front seats with 3-position memory
- 19-inch AMG twin 5-spoke wheels
- Dashcam
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- 10.25-inch touchscreen multimedia display
- 4-way manually adjustable steering column
- SmartKey with KEYLESS-START
- Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX)
- 4-color LED ambient lighting with illuminated vents
- SiriusXM
- 8 airbags
- Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call service
- Active Brake Assist
Trims and Pricing for the AMG CLA Coupe
There are 4 CLA Coupes available for the 2021 car year model, two of them are AMG models. The top of the line is the 2021 AMG CLA 45 Coupe priced around $55K. All CLA trim models are priced at a very reasonable price with a range from $37K to $55K.
For those car buyers who want to enter the world of Mercedes Benz CLA coupes, the CLA 250 4Matic is a very attractive model priced around $37K, however, this is not an AMG model, so it won’t have the wonderful performance, luxury, and power of the AMG CLA 45.
2021 CLA 250 Coupe
$37,850 Starting MSRP
2021 CLA 250 4MATIC Coupe
$39,850 Starting MSRP
2021 AMG CLA 35 Coupe
$47,850 Starting MSRP
2021 AMG CLA 45 Coupe
$55,350 Starting MSRP
Engine and Performance
The engine of the AMG CLA 45 is an extremely powerful 4-cylinder engine, with 382 handcrafted horsepower, that works together with the advanced AMG Performance 4MATIC producing 100% rear-wheel drive power. You can reach fast acceleration, from 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds. Faster than any other CLA.
An 8-speed DCT transmission combines a racing-derived dual-clutch design with AMG SPEEDSHIFT technology for fast, smooth, and performance speed shifting. This AMG CLA includes Manual mode and RACE START launch function, and also various driving modes of AMG DYNAMIC SELECT to offer distinctive accelerator and gearshift results. The automatic ECO Start/Stop system shuts off the engine at stoplights to save fuel and reduce emissions.
Exterior Design
The second-generation CLA, the 2021 AMG CLA 45 is very stylish, sleeker, and more beautifully proportioned. The new 4-door coupe design is spectacular with its standard 19-inch wheels.
The exterior front vertical-bar AMG grille is underscored by a deep air dam with an “A-wing” design featuring large, deeply sculpted intakes.
The deep rear includes a wind-tunnel-shaped rear spoiler producing a dramatic end of the exterior rear line. Wide LED taillamps and more details will make anyone fall in love with the exterior design of this coupe.
Interior Design
The interior is even more attractive than the exterior. It invites guests to come for a ride in the CLA 45 AMG. Fine materials advanced technology, and a clean modern style makes the cabin your second home. One of my favorite interior settings is the 4-color LED ambient lighting with illuminated vents, allowing you to change the interior of your CLA 45 with your favorite lighting colors.
The interior is enhanced by several digital instruments, displays, touchpads on the steering wheel and console to keep full control of the interior.
The AMG CLA 45 voice interface is easy to use, it responds well.
The Mercedes Benz Aircraft-inspired round vents and racing-inspired seats with four integrated head restraints give you a feeling of speed and sports when riding the AMG CLA 45.
The CLA is full of luxury details with more interior features like memory power front seats, a Panorama roof, and dual-zone climate control, a steering column that is manually adjustable in-out and up-down for an optimal driving position, and a better view of the dashboard and instruments.
Safety Features
The CLA is very safe offering an advanced system of 8 airbags with 10-way occupant protection.
Advanced MBUX Infotainment System Standard. The AMG CLA 45 Coupe, as well as all-new Mercedes-AMG models, come equipped with Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX). Enjoy the latest version of the MBUX infotainment system, with AMG-specific advanced functions and displays.
MBUX is standard included with no additional charge. The modern MBUX infotainment system includes an innovative interface that enhances and optimizes the CLA on several aspects. The MBUX includes a new cockpit control with a lot of innovation. MBUX integrates digital in-dash displays including a touchscreen, touch-sensitive controls, Bluetooth hands-free, and audio streaming, and an available industry-advancing voice control system that responds to your everyday speaking voice and phrasing of commands. You can set up multiple user profiles of favored settings, and groups of settings can be saved as themes or moods, easily accessible on your dashboard.
MBUX Infotainment Advanced Voice Control. The latest version of the MBUX infotainment system further enhances the driving experience for everyday use and establishes a great connection between vehicle, driver, and passengers. MBUX can be operated via the touchpad, touch control buttons on the steering wheel, or by voice control.
Active Brake Assist is one of my favorite safety features. It includes radar-based technology, alerting the driver if approaching a vehicle ahead, or even some stationary objects at a speed and distance for a potential collision.
In the case of any airbag opening, the CLA 45 can automatically initiate a call to Mercedes-Benz Emergency Services, transmitting your GPS-determined location and helpful vehicle information to report a potential accident.
Mercedes AMG Performance
The AMG division from Mercedes Benz, started about 50 years ago, during the 1960s, with 2 engineers working at the Daimler-Benz who started to optimized Mercedes Benz engines and cars for racing and performance. The AMG name comes from A as in Aufrecht, M as in Melcher, and G as in Grossaspach. Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher were working together in Grossaspach, Germany with the goal to produce the best performance Mercedes Benz automobiles. They spent their spare time further improving the performance of Mercedes Benz engines and became experts in optimizing the performance of Mercedes-Benz vehicles. In 1971 their optimized AMG Mercedes 300 SEL 6.8 became the winner in its class and second place overall, at the 24 hours racing in Spa. The success and advanced performance continue until the present time as the Mercedes AMG line has developed like a skyrocket from a two-man operation into a global brand inside the Mercedes Benz Family.
