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The Mercedes CLA and Audi A3 are entry-level sedans from Germany, aimed at first time luxury car buyers, writes Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com
The demand for luxury cars is increasing in India and the trend is only going to rise further as Germany's Mercedes-Benz and Audi have launched the CLA and A3 respectively.
Both these cars aren't your typical German sedans because unlike traditional offerings from these brands, the A3 and CLA are front-wheel driven.
Audi launched the A3 first, bringing it last year while Mercedes launched the CLA last month.
When parked side by side, there is little doubt that the Mercedes CLA is the more appealing car to look at.
The baby Benz is easily the more attractive and makes the Audi A3 look bland in comparison.
While the A3 looks a lot like other Audis, the CLA has a striking identity of its own and certain styling elements like the sloping roofline, coupe like rear profile and the 302 pin diamond grille (finished in black) do make it stand out.
On the interior front too, the Audi A3 can't match the Mercedes CLA which has a more appealing dashboard.
The dash on the A3 is simple yet elegant but the sportier bits in the CLA's cabin make it look the more appealing.
Both cars come with a slew of equipment but the petrol powered A3 doesn't get the same level of kit as the petrol CLA. Audi offers the A3 in multiple variants but the lower models don't even get daytime running lights!
In terms of space, neither cars offer enough for rear seat passengers, the lack of headroom being the big culprit here.
Thus the rear seat is best suited to children, with the A3 having more headroom while the CLA offers better legroom thanks to the scooped out front seatback and 62 mm longer wheelbase.
The CLA also gets memory seats for front passengers which is missing in the Audi. While the Merc has a bigger boot by 45-litres, the placement of the spare wheel on top robs away the usability of the trunk which the A3 has.
Both cars come with petrol and diesel engines, matched to automatic transmissions. When it comes to petrol models, the CLA has more output with the 2.0-litre engine belting out 183 PS and 300 Nm while the Audi's 1.8-litre motor produces 180 PS and 250 Nm.
In spite of the advantage in torque, the CLA is slower than the A3 because the Audi is a good 215 kgs lighter.
The A3 is .5 seconds faster than the Merc in doing the 0-100 km/hr sprint. The A3 is also more frugal, returning 16.6 km/l against the CLA's 15.04 km/l (ARAI figures).
The 7-speed gearbox on the A3 is quicker with shifts than the 7-speed unit on the CLA.
Between the diesel models, the A3 has more output from its 2.0-litre mill (145 PS, 320 Nm) while the Merc's 2.1-litre powerplant produces 136 PS and 300 Nm.
The fact that the Audi has more power and less weight, makes it 1.2 seconds faster in the 0-100 km/hr sprint.
This difference isn't very apparent in day to day driving because the CLA has good low and mid-range performance, it also has paddle shifts on the steering which the A3 misses out on.
The four ringed brand has managed to offer more efficiency in the diesel A3 as well, with this Audi returning 20.38 km/l against the Benz' 17.9 km/l (ARAI figures).
The diesel A3 uses a 6-speed transmission which is quicker with shifts than the CLA's 7-speed autobox.
The Audi A3's light weight gives it better body control than the Merc, it's the better handler here but the steering on the CLA is better with more feedback to offer. The CLA's driving position is better as you sit lower.
Both cars come with high ground clearance so none of them will scrape their underbelly on a big speed-breaker. Both offer good ride quality but the CLA is better in this regard as it irons out bad roads with more ease. Braking performance is good on both these vehicles.
Audi currently assembles the A3 via the CKD route while the CLA is completely imported, being brought in via the CBU route.
However, Mercedes will start local assembly in the near future. Naturally the CLA is the more expensive car here but the extra you pay for the Mercedes is completely worth it because it is bigger and better looking, offering a more appealing cabin and better ride quality.
For buyers of this segment, making an impression is very important and nothing does it better at this price than the CLA, making the Mercedes the winner of this shootout.
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