Four-Cylinder Diesel For Mercedes CLA and GLA Won't Cross The Pond

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

While your humble Editor-In-Chief was brake-torquing his mighty 560SL — about which more will be said in the near future — over to the liquor store to pick some Alizé for some morally-challenged females, Mercedes-Benz USA was holding quite a party for the CLA Press Drive. I’m reliably told it was the most upscale event in history to feature a vehicle priced head-to-head with the Ford Fusion. I’m also reliably told by the same people who told me about the event that the cheapest Benzo is the bee’s knees and just totally awesome in every respect.

We’ll see.

But there’s already one bit of off-message news emerging about the transverse-engined Teutonic travesty:



In Europe, you can get a diesel CLA in either 136-horse or 170-horse tune, with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DCT respectively, but no variant of that powertrain will be available in North America. The engine, incidentally, is sourced from Renault.

Let’s pause for a minute to consider the notion that isn’t willing to make their own four-cylinder entry-level diesels. Alright, that’s over. Why won’t the Renault four-banger come to the United States? Apparently the answer is the urea injection system that would be mandatory on these shores; it would simply cost too much to fit. Once upon a time, Mercedes-Benz would have built their own engine, made it comply with our regulations, and charged whatever they felt was fair — but that strategy no longer works in this market and it certainly wouldn’t work with a car that’s currently being advertised with “$29,999” all over it. Still, the idea that this car is priced and sliced so thin that there isn’t the margin to fit a French diesel is enough to give those of us who have owned the old Benzes pause. One wonders perhaps if the cost of doing so would have been more or less than the cost of fitting that abominable backlit SL-style star in the grille.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Sam P Sam P on Oct 06, 2013

    If I'm going to go German for low $30k, a loaded Jetta GLI or a manual transmission 320i with vinyl seats are looking much more compelling than this Hyundai-looking Benz.

    • Hubcap Hubcap on Oct 06, 2013

      I'd definitely take a GLI over this. TrueCar is advertising 27.2k for a loaded 6MT. I'm sure you'd save 5-6k over a similarly equipped CLA or 320i.

  • Cdnsfan27 Cdnsfan27 on Oct 07, 2013

    I like, and sell both models you are interested in. Decision comes down to front or rear drive and how many options you are willing to give up to keep the 320i in your price range. For my money I would choose a base 320i with a stick and the sport package. A very sweet ride. A better alternative though is an A4 Quattro with a stick. More standard equipment than the 320i and just as fun to drive...oh, I do sell those too!

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
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