By Clive Funizwe

The difference in price, between a CLA35 and CLA45s can buy you a Suzuki Baleno and that jump is significant enough to make one wonder if the differences in overall performance is warranted.

AMG Power

Making its case, the CLA45s gives you the most powerful 2.0l, 4-cylinder, turbo charged engine (in a road legal production car of course). It produces an adrenalin pumping 310kW/500 Nm through its Speedshift 8G DCT gearbox. Claimed figures are 0-100 in 4.0 seconds flat, but favourible conditions can get the CLA45s to 100km/h under 4 seconds.

The CLA45s also has a much improved 4-wheel drive system compared to the CLA35. Either than having grip that you can feel is better. It has two separately acting clutches at the rear axle that provide for fully variable and individual power distribution to the rear wheels as required. It also has a Drift mode, which features as standard, and effectively makes the car a rear wheel drive.

The sum of the engine, gearbox and this level of 4-wheel drive system elevates the CLA45s from the CLA35 by a significant margin when it comes to performance. The CLA35 is a rapid car – but the CLA45s has sports car performance.

Daily

What makes the performance in the CLA45s even more desirable is that it can also go unnoticed, both in fuel consumption and ride quality. This is even more so a good thing if the CLA45s is used as a daily commuter. You retain all sensibility and can also switch things up as and when you need to without being underwhelmed.

Outside of the performance differences, the CLA45s is very much similar in other areas to the CLA35. If you would like to read that review, which covers the technology, practicality and how it is to live with – you can click on that review here.

Pricing

The CLA45s is priced from R1,257,000 and it comes with a standard 6-Year 100,000km Maintenance Plan.