Driven: Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 Sport The turbocharged 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine is one of a new family of units and, on paper, its 120bhp ouput looks rather measly. There's148lb ft of torque at just 1,250rpm, though, so it feels stronger than you expect. Anyone familiar with some of Mercedes' rather wheezy four-cylinder engines wil be pleasantly surprised by how refined it is, too: rev hard and there's little increase in volume; just an appealing zingy note. Performance is reasonably brisk and the six-speed manual gearbox shifts smoothly enough between ratios, even though the lever has an unsatisfying long-throw action. The pedal box is annoyingly cramped, too, and the pedals themselves are slightly offset to the right. In this guise, there's no automatic option. If you want a CLA with a self-shifter you'll need to find anouther £5000 for the diesel-powered CLA 220 CDI, which has a twin-clutch transmission as standard. Mercedes-Benz offers many of its models with a bewildering choice of suspension set-ups, but there are just two systems for the CLA. As standard, Sport versions get comfort suspension, whereas AMG Sport cars have lowered sport supension. You can specify sport suspension for Sport models but I wouldnt; the ride on comfort suspension is firm enough, and the CLA fusses and flinches over all but the smoothest surfaces. The upside is good body control, and as a result the handling is sharp. Allied to responsive - if not especially communicative - steering the CLA largely lives up to its sporty image. Inside, the CLA is a dead ringer for the A-Class, with the same dashboard and controls. One-piece sports front seats jazz things up a bit, but otherwise its standard modern Mercedes - nice enough at first glance, soldily built, but on close inspection nothing special. The optional Becker satnav system looks cheap (it isn't especially so, at £495) and the materials and finish aren't as classy as those in an Audi A3 (a CLA-rivalling saloon version of which is on the way). Rear legroom is fine, but it's no surprise that the sloping roofline means that taller passengers won't be able to sit up straight in the back. There's no compromise on boot space, with a massive 470-litre capacity. Practicality will be a long way down most CLA buyers' list of priorities, of course. Style is likely to be at the top, and the CLA scores highly for that. Elsewhere it ticks the boxes, but there's a sense that it's only as good as it needs to be. Maybe, at nearly 40, I'm just too old to appreciate it... Mercedes-Benz CLA 180 Sport Price from: £24,355 Price as tested: £31,595