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Mercedes-Benz CLA – Australian pricing & specs

Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific has today announced pricing and basic specs for its CLA range, the saloon version of the A Class. We’ll be seeing three models in Australia and here is the manufacturer’s list pricing:

  • CLA 200 – $49,900
  • CLA 250 Sport – $63,400
  • CLA 45 AMG – $86,900

In the case of the CLA 45 AMG, the model of most interest to AUSmotive readers, that represents a $12,000 premium over its hot hatch sibling. While CLA 250 Sport and CLA 200 buyers are asked to fork out an extra $13,500 and $9,000 respectively compared with corresponding models from the the A Class range.

The CLA 200 is powered by a 115kW/250Nm 1.6 litre turbo four-cylinder, the CLA 250 Sport has a 155kW/350Nm 2.0 litre turbo four. When AMG gets their skilled engine-makers on the case they produce 265kW/450Nm from the 2.0 litre turbo found within the CLA 45 AMG.

The CLA 200 comes with the following standard equipment:

  • 18” Wheels
  • Thermotronic climate control
  • Becker® MAP PILOT Navigation
  • Reversing camera
  • Collision Prevention Assist
  • Blind Spot Assist
  • Pre-Safe
  • Attention Assist
  • Active Bonnet

In addition, the CLA 250 Sport features:

  • Heated electric leather sports seats with memory function and AMG styling

While the CLA 45 AMG also includes:

  • AMG Driver’s Package
  • AMG Night Package
  • AMG Performance Steering Wheel
  • Comand Navigation
  • Harmon Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system
  • Distronic Plus (Adaptive cruise control)
  • Lane Keeping Assist

We ask, is the addition of a boot and a supposed boost in style really worth the price premium Mercedes-Benz demands?

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Mercedes-Benz

VIDEO: Stars on 45

Mercedes Benz CLA 45 AMG v A 45 AMG

In this video from Auto Express he who shall not be named compares the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG against the A45 AMG. A slightly surprising choice of comparison when YouTube readers demand as many A45 v M135i comparisons as they can get their keyboards on.

Less surprising, of course, is the reviewer’s conclusion. Who would have thought that picking a winner between two cars from the same maker, with the same drivetrain and largely the same interior would come down to a toss of the coin. You could have knocked me down with a feather!

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2013 German Grand Prix in pictures

2013 German Grand Prix

Here we are with a bumper edition of F1 pics this week. There’s over 100 photos from the 2013 German Grand Prix for you below, there’s some really great images too. We hope you like them.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

2013 German GP: Qualifying report

2013 German Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has added to his Mercedes AMG’s excellent qualifying performances this year by claiming pole position for the German Grand Prix. The silver arrows have started from P1 six times this year, split evenly at three apiece for each driver.

Hamilton’s best lap (1:29.398) edged out the Red Bull Racing pairing. Home town hero Sebastian Vettel (1:29.501) will start from P2. Mark Webber (1:29.608) will line up on the clean side of the grid from P3, with Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus, 1:29.892) on P4.

Starting from the the third row are Romain Grosjean (Lotus, 1:29.959) and Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso, 1:30.528). The two Ferraris will line up on the fourth row with Felipe Massa (1:31.126) ahead of Fernando Alonso (1:31.209).

Ricciardo’s P6 position equals his career best qualifying result, which was set last weekend at Silverstone. At the Nürburgring he will start 10 places ahead of his teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne (1:31.104) who was the slowest of the drivers knocked out at the end of Q2.

Daniel’s stocks are rising as the race for Mark Webber’s Red Bull seat in 2014 hots up. Both he and his team admit P6 is a result they weren’t expecting.

“I’m really delighted with the way qualifying went and it’s very encouraging to be sixth fastest for the second race in a row, which means we are seeing signs of progress and consistency,” the 24-year-old Australian said. “However, it was not as straightforward here as in Silverstone last week and we definitely had to pull something out of the bag to do the time and get into Q3.

“We exceeded our expectations today, as in FP3 we did not look so strong. I was particularly pleased with my Q2 lap. I think we did the best we could today and now we look ahead to the race.”

The great thing is Daniel expectations of what’s possible on Sunday have also changed these last few races, as he later explained.

“Last weekend I felt there was a better result than eighth waiting for me and I would like to go for better than seventh, which is my best finish so far. If there’s a chance of a podium, let’s go for it! Nothing’s impossible.”

As usual, you can read the thoughts of the top three drivers after the break.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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2013 British Grand Prix in pictures

2013 British Grand Prix

Here’s your pics from an epic British Grand Prix at Silverstone. If not for a customary dodgy start we may have been looking at Mark Webber with hands raised in triumph in the photo above. Instead Mark almost won, on the back of a gutsy recovery effort.

Ifs, buts and maybes—as likeable and charismatic as Mark has been during his F1 career—that pretty much sums him up. Now that his Porsche move has been confirmed, we can enjoy the Mark Webber F1 farewell tour. Certainly a win at Silverstone would have been a great way to start the journey, but a win at the Nürburgring, the venue of his maiden grand prix victory would have a nice symmetry to it as well.

Oh yeah, well done Nico Rosberg. A solid win for you. There’s over 90 pics from the British GP ready to be enjoyed after the break.

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Nico Rosberg wins 2013 British GP

2013 British Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG) has won an incident-packed British Grand Prix, just 0.765 seconds from Mark Webber (Red Bull). Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) filled the final podium position.

But where to start with the drama this race contained! Off the start line Webber was slow to move, although it appeared he may have been ever so slightly baulked by Rosberg ahead of him. That put the Aussie in thick of the action going into the first corner and unavoidable contact was made with Romain Grosjean (Lotus). Webber was forced wide, with a damaged front wing, and rejoined the track in fifteenth place. His day seemed over.

Out front Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes AMG) made the most of his pole position to establish a two second lead over Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull). But on lap eight the story of the day, and Pirelli’s worst nightmare, emerged when Hamilton’s left rear tyre delaminated before it spectacularly exploded. He limped back to the pits and rejoined in last place.

Alas that was the first of four delaminations for the day with Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) to lose their left rear tyre in the same fashion as Hamilton soon after. As a result there was debris around all over the place and the Safety Car was deployed to clear the track.

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) inherited the lead from Hamilton and was able to post a small gap back to Rosberg after racing resumed on lap 21. Rosberg stayed in touch with Vettel, but on lap 41 the triple world champion coasted into the last corner with gearbox problems, stopping on pit straight. The Safety Car was brought out to move Vettel’s car out of harm’s way.

Webber, who had worked his way back through the field was in third place after Vettel’s retirement, came in for a final tyre stop coming out behind the Safety Car in fifth place. When racing resumed there were six laps remaining, Rosberg in the lead heading towards his third grand prix win. Webber looked the most likely to challenge, if he could overtake the cars ahead.

Shortly after the restart Sergio Perez (McLaren) suffered the final tyre blowout of the race, he was narrowly avoided by Alonso who was preparing to pass the young Mexican. Thankfully a Safety Car wasn’t needed and we were treated to an exciting race to the flag.

Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) stood between Webber and Rosberg. Mark was able to quickly pass Ricciardo and Sutil in the chase for the lead and Raikkonen, on old tyres, was also overtaken without too much bother.

Less than two seconds separated first from second and Webber really needed to within one second of Rosberg so he could benefit from DRS. To Rosberg’s credit he was able to fight hard to keep his lead out of Webber’s reach to take the race win. Another lap or two may have seen a fairytale victory for Mark, but it wasn’t to be.

For all his troubles Lewis Hamilton also drove a great race and finished fourth. All of the top four drivers will have been pleased to have made some inroads into Vettel’s championship lead.

Daniel Ricciardo slipped down to eighth on his old tyres. His late fade out will be softened by the fact teammate Jean-Eric Vergne retired at about two thirds race distance.

It was a deserved win for Rosberg as the Mercedes AMGs were fast all weekend. He’ll take renewed confidence into next weekend when the German Grand Prix takes place at the Nürburgring.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

2013 British GP: Qualifying report

2013 British Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has blitzed the field to claim pole position for the 2013 British Grand Prix. The 2008 world champion set a best lap of 1:29.607, four tenths quicker than his Mercedes AMG teammate, Nico Rosberg (1:30.059).

So it’s another Mercedes front-row lockout, followed by a pair of very closely matched Red Bulls. Sebastian Vettel (1:30.211) will start from P3. In his final appearance at Silverstone Mark Webber (1:30.220) will line up on P4, just nine one thousandths of a second off Vettel. That’s Mark’s poorest qualifying result here for five years.

“We were up against it to get on the front row against the Mercs, they’re on another level as they have been for the last few events,” Webber explained. “It was disappointing to get pipped by Seb there at the end by a hundredth, it was very close. I was happy with the first part of my lap, but I could have done better in the last sector.”

It’s expected the Red Bulls will have better race pace than the Mercedes duo, a familiar theme so far this season and Webber is hoping there’s more to come. “We have a good balance for qualifying and race pace in terms of where we prioritised things. It should be an interesting race, we can get a good result from there,” he said.

Sensing a need to put his name at the forefront of Christian Horner’s mind, Daniel Ricciardo (Torro Rosso, 1:30.757) shone throughout qualifying to earn himself sixth place on the grid. He’ll start alongside Paul di Resta (Force India,1:30.736), who will be very pleased with himself to start his home race from P5.

Also pleasing for Ricciardo is the fact his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne (1:31.785), and fellow applicant for the vacant 2014 Red Bull Racing seat, could only manage the thirteenth best time. It’s a great result for Daniel who is ahead of both Ferrari and both Lotus drivers.

“Coming off the back of a bad couple of races, I expected to be strong here and I was more motivated than ever,” said Ricciardo. “However, if I’d been told I could be sixth this afternoon, I would have been surprised. We were very close to Di Resta in fifth, but we can be happy with this position.

“Now I am looking forward to the race when I hope I can come away with a good handful of points. I’d like to think I could finish at least in the same place I am starting from. It would be nice to do even better and I will be pushing hard to achieve that.”

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VIDEO: Hot hatch mixed masters

Autocar A45 AMG v Golf GTI v M135i

Steve Sutcliffe from Autocar has had the enviable task of comparing a trio of very different hot hatches. There’s the 265kW four-cylinder all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, the 250kW inline six-cylinder rear-wheel drive BMW M135i and the 169kW front-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf GTI.

They are three very different hot hatches. Indeed aside from country of origin and the fact all three are turbocharged they don’t really have a lot in common. Pricing, especially, is very different. And yet, if you had the chance to drive all three on the same roads on the same day you’d grab the opportunity with both hands.

So put aside the practical differences for a moment and enjoy the ride. Then, at the end, you can try and rationalise the outcome.

[Thanks to John for the tip]

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes and Pirelli got away with it (mostly)

2013 Spanish Grand Prix

While we were off last week the FIA International Tribunal delivered its verdict on the so-called secret tyre test carried out by Pirelli and Mercedes AMG.

The test was brought into question on account of Mercedes using a 2013-spec car driven by Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, complete with disguised helmets. Such circumstances would appear to be a clear breach of the rules which ban in-season testing. In handing down its findings the International Tribunal said Mercedes did gain an unfair advantage.

A portion of the detailed ruling, which has been published by the FIA, reads:

It is inconceivable that Mercedes did not obtain a material advantage from three days of testing even if only as a result of the running of its car(s) – wholly irrespective of any matter relating to tyres.

Further, Ross Brawn candidly accepted in his evidence that it was inevitable that some advantage had been obtained, although he regarded that advantage as having been minimal.

Yet, on the face of it, both parties got away with it.

Officially, both Mercedes and Pirelli have been reprimanded and Mercedes will be forced to sit out the three-day young driver test to be held at Silverstone next month.

Since the young driver tests have been moved to mid-season, instead of after the final race, they have morphed from an opportunity to assess young talent to a more season-specific test where teams will extract useable data for the remaining races.

So, on the surface, the penalty will hurt Mercedes, but really, it’s all a bit wet lettuce leaf. The FIA, meanwhile, says it will endeavour to clarify matters regarding testing to ensure similar incidents don’t happen again.

Official commentary from the FIA can be read below.

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2013 Canadian Grand Prix in pictures

2013 Canadian Grand Prix

The 2013 Canadian Grand Prix was a pretty easy day out for Sebastian Vettel. Indeed those ‘Mounties’ were as close as anyone got to him on race day. We didn’t want you to miss out on the fun, so here’s 86 images from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve that will bring you as close to Vettel as any of his competitors got.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes and Pirelli to face FIA Tribunal on 20 June

Mercedes AMG F1 W04

Mercedes AMG and Pirelli will face the FIA International Tribunal on 20 June over charges of conducting a secret in-season test. The hearing will take place in Paris at 9:30am local time and the decision will be made public as soon as possible.

You can read the full statement from the FIA after the break.

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2013 Canadian GP: Post-race press conference

2013 Canadian Grand Prix

Back whenever it was that the FIA started to interview the drivers on the podium after each race (2012 British Grand Prix) we thought it was a clumsy approach. To be fair, there were some teething problems and it did get better. It’s true, also, that fans at the track probably deserve to hear from the drivers they have paid, in many cases, several hundred dollars to watch.

And yet, when you read the transcript below, you won’t really get too much of a clue that all the while during Eddie Jordan’s interview with Sebastian Vettel the German was being booed while Fernando Alonso was being cheered along.

To be fair, the transcript does read a little odd and Jordan seems to cut-off Vettel. In fact he did cut-off the race winner mid-sentence partly to stop the jeering from the crowd we suspect. It was a bad look all around and perhaps the FIA may have cause to reconsider the practice of on-track interviews.

For now, we expect the status quo will remain, as it probably should, but as much as we dislike Vettel at times, he deserved better than the Canadian crowd gave him.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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