Mercedes-Benz CLA Plays Peek-a-Boo - NYTimes.com DETROIT -- Mercedes-Benz offered a sneak preview here on Sunday night of its 2014 CLA250, a harbinger of an all-new range of small cars designed to compete with the BMW 1 Series and similarly sized small luxury models. Based on what was shown briefly at a press event held on the eve of the North American International Auto Show, it's unlikely the CLA will be mistaken as anything but a Mercedes. The CLA's styling is very similar to that of the Concept Style Coupe that Mercedes unveiled at the Beijing auto show last April. "The response to the Concept Style Coupe was overwhelming," said Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz cars, in prepared remarks. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now. It is already being called the "baby CLS" based on its very similar design to that larger model. The CLA is based on the same platform as the Mercedes A-Class, though, so it comes across as more of a compact sedan than a spacious luxury car. The CLA was not planned to be on display at the auto show here in Detroit. After the Sunday evening event it was to make its premiere at Fashion Week in Berlin. Think of the 2014 CLA as something of a 190E for the 21st Century, though one can expect much better performance from the new car. While the gas engine in the United States version of the 190E barely crept past 100 horsepower when that car was first introduced 30 years ago, the CLA's turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder produces 208 horsepower. The CLA, due in American dealerships by this fall, is nominally a front-wheel-drive vehicle, but all-wheel-drive will become available as an option about six months after launch. The highlights include a drag coefficient, or Cd, of 0.23, which Mercedes claims is a "world record in aerodynamics for series production automobiles." A Toyota Prius, for comparison, has a 0.25 Cd. Mercedes said the CLA's aerodynamic optimization has "a major impact on fuel consumption under everyday driving conditions." Specific fuel economy numbers will not be available, however, until closer to the car's on-sale date. One of the car's most attractive features should be its price, which Mercedes is suggesting will start at $30,000. Other version of this model are expected to be revealed in the coming months, including a high-performance AMG version. The CLA250's official auto show debut is instead planned for the Geneva auto show in early March.