Mercedes-Benz: CLA won’t steal sales from C-Class sedan, “no comment” on CLA Shooting
With the launch of the Mercedes-Benz CLA, some customers in the market for a medium-sized sedan may find themselves in a dilemma.
What to choose, the front-wheel-drive CLA four-door “coupe” that starts at €28,976 in Germany or the more traditional rear-wheel-drive C-Class sedan, priced from €33,230?
Well, according to Mercedes’ Global Communications manager Anja Wassertheurer, who is responsible for A-, B-, CLA-Class models, the CLA and the C-Class are not direct competitors. “The CLA and the C-Class address very different target groups, we are not really afraid of the CLA stealing sales from the C-Class,” Wassertheurer told Inautonews.com via e-mail. “The CLA is designed to post-modern trendsetters for whom previous mid-size models are too traditional,” the official explained.
However, some customers will no doubt consider both cars, as the price difference between them is not very big. If we take for instance the 156-hp C 180 BlueEfficiency and compare it to the CLA 200 that has the same engine, things may get complicated. The C 180 is priced at €33,230 in Germany, whereas the CLA 200 costs €31,862, almost €1,500 less.
When asked whether Mercedes-Benz is considering other body styles for the CLA, including a shooting brake version and a two-door coupe, Wassertheurer replied: “For the time being I can’t really comment on your questions.” What does this mean? Well, maybe a CLA Shooting Brake is not that unlikely for the future.
