A less frugal Mercedes CLA to arrive next year in India

Mercedes-Benz plans to bring out another CLA to India, after the CLA 45 AMG, in the first quarter of 2015.

Auto industry is more than just excited to see the latest C-Class that Mercedes-Benz is going to launch sometime in the next few weeks. To create more stir in the market, it will also launch another CLA sedan in India in the beginning of next year.

This decision has not come as a surprise as India is gradually maturing to the compact luxury sedan segment. Priced competitively, these models are expected to be received with open arms by the Indian customers. The success of A-Class and B-Class is more than enough to deduce the fact as together, they account for nearly 20% of Mercedes-Benz’s sales in India. The car will be a direct competition to Audi’s A3.

Mercedes has brought one diesel and one petrol variant to India for homologation purposes. The petrol variant will be powered by a 1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder mill producing 121bhp and 200Nm of maximum torque. The diesel one will run on a four-cylinder engine which is 2.1-litre and turbocharged and produces 136bhp and 300Nm of maximum torque. Both the variants will deliver power through the 7G dual clutch transmission.

The model will be brought as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) which should mean a hefty price tag. But despite saying that, it will also be Mercedes’s most affordable sedan in India which is something good to feel about.