Mercedes-Benz CLA review

Up front, all good. The dash is neat – the eyeball vents look especially good – and the switchgear feels solid and premium. The steering wheel is sporty and the seating position is pretty good, too. The only minor blemish is the sat nav screen that sticks out of the top of the dash, and seems like a bit of an afterthought.

B-pillar back, though, and things take a turn for the worse. The rear seats are cramped – very cramped, in a way you don’t expect from a modern car. Headroom is so tight that even our 5’9” tester struggled to sit upright. Blame the coupe lines for that. And the boot is also tiny, compounding the practicality issues. Want a more practical Merc? Buy an A-Class. Want a betterlooking Merc? Buy the C-Class Coupe. In both cases, you’ll be disappointed if you choose a CLA.