The 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA350 4Matic features a high-tech cockpit with a 38-inch MBUX Superscreen that combines the instrument cluster, center infotainment screen, and passenger display into a single seamless slab. The screen’s brilliant clarity is striking, but it also means the interior designers had less space to showcase their craftsmanship.
The new MB.OS infotainment system is excellent, with large icons, logical organization, and a navigation map that balances detail and clarity. The “zero-layer” home screen allows access to key controls without diving into secondary screens, and popular streaming apps like Spotify can be installed directly to the car.
However, the overall experience of living with the CLA350 is marred by some fumbled user-interface decisions, including the use of two switches to control four windows. The car also only has single-zone climate control, which is difficult to justify at a price of $67,580.
Mercedes’ decision to use a single-zone climate control system is notable, given the car’s price point. They have also implemented a climate system that lacks manual control, with the HVAC screen giving the illusion of fan-speed settings but actually only allowing control over the maximum fan speed for the always-on automatic mode. To get the desired fan speed, the driver must trick the system by adjusting the temperature and max fan speed settings.
The CLA’s slow boot-up time and requirement to shift into drive or reverse before delivering full power are also annoying, going against decades of driver behavioral conditioning. This means that simple tasks like putting the windows down to vent a hot car before loading passengers require shifting into drive first.
The CLA’s maximal driver assist is a $1,950 option that adds features like lane centering and assisted lane changes to the standard adaptive cruise control. While it works well, it doesn’t particularly move the industry forward. Mercedes promises more advanced technology with the upcoming MB.Drive Assist Pro, which will allow point-to-point driving with a lightly touched wheel.
Mercedes provided a demo drive of the MB.Drive Assist Pro in San Francisco, which was impressive. However, given Mercedes’ history of hyping driver assistance tech and then delaying its rollout, expectations are being tempered. They have a history of making big promises, but it remains to be seen whether they can deliver on their claims.