Volkswagen Shows Off CLA Competitor In Chengdu
Volkswagen’s latest MQB-based vehicle is another challenge to Mercedes-Benz – the last time they threw down the gauntlet against Daimler, we ended up with the Phaeton. This should fare a bit better.
Dubbed the “Lamando”, the vehicle in question is based on the MK7 Golf and its MQB chassis, and uses both the 1.4L and 2.0L TSI 4-cylinder engines, along with a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The Lamando will be built in China, for the Chinese market only, with a starting price of about $29,000. This puts it in direct competition with the Mercedes-Benz CLA.
Live shots of the car can be seen here. Sales of the Americanized Jetta have slumped recently, despite a strong (but price-driven) introduction. A car like this would do a lot to add some pizzazz to Volkswagen’s compact sedan, and given its MQB bones, it could likely be built in Mexico easily. How about it, VW?
More by Derek Kreindler
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I fail to see why a customer would choose this over a CLA. The car looks good and it would be great as a... Jetta.
Looks like a Chinese Jetta with a high beltline and big wheels to me. I haven't driven a Jetta in more than a year, but the GLI interior felt like a "real Volkswagen" while the base interior was cost-reduced a little too much. In my opinion, Jetta sales would improve if Volkswagen made a better effort to disguise the down-market plastic. It felt like German engineers had contempt for Americans. "You want a big, cheap Jetta. We'll give you a big, cheap Jetta!"