Extraordinarily expressive and athletic. This is how Mercedes Benz describes their new CLA. Now Carlsson debuts their bespoke tuning programme for the compact four-door coupe at the Geneva Motor Show.
The Carlsson tuning program ranges from aerodynamic components, sports exhaust system, uprated suspension, alloy wheels, performance kits for petrol and diesel engines and interior trim upgrades.
Designed for cars with the AMG sports package, the Carlsson front spoiler gives the CLA an even more sporty and aggressive appearance. An additional option is a grill insert made of electro-polished stainless steel.
The more contoured side sills lead your eye to the new rear apron, which has cut-outs for the four polished tips of the Carlsson sports exhaust silencer. Apart from a deeper, sportier sound, this silencer is designed to reduce backpressure, thus releasing a few additional horsepower.
To improve handling and road holding, sport springs lower the ride height by 35mm, giving the car a more hunkered down look. An even more sophisticated option is Carlsson's fully adjustable coil-over suspension kit, which allows the ride height, and damper bounce and rebound settings to be altered.
Two Carlsson alloy wheel designs, the 1/10 and 1/16 RS, are available for the CLA. The 1/10 design in Titanium or Brilliant Edition comes in 18, 19 or 20- inch sizes. The Graphite Edition is available in 19 and 20-inch sizes. The 1/16 RS design comes in the Diamond Edition or Titanium Edition, in 18, 19 and 20-inch diameters.
In collaboration with Dunlop and Vredestein, Carlsson offer electronically balanced wheel and tyre sets, including centre caps. Tyre sizes are 225/40R18, 225/35R19, and 235/30R20.
Carlsson's C -Tronic CB performance kits back up the sportier looks with enhanced performance. "Since petrol rather than diesel engines are still predominant in many markets all over the world, we developed the C-Tronic CB kit for the CLA's petrol engines,” said Carlsson's Managing Director, Dipl.- ing. (FH) Markus Schuster.
Minimal installation time with maximum performance and reliability is the principle behind the new Carlsson C-Tronic CB Plug & Drive module, which connects to the factory ECU via an adapter plug included in the kit.
C-Tronic boosts the turbocharged petrol motor in the CLA180 to 156 hp/115kW (Series: 122 hp/90kW), with peak torque of 250 Nm (Series: 200 Nm). The CLA200 (M270) now boasts 187hp/138 kW (Series: 156 hp/115 kW) with 300 Nm (Series: 250 Nm). Finally, the CLA250 now makes a healthy 253 hp/186kW (Series: 211 hp/155 kW) with 420 Nm of torque (Series: 350 Nm). For the CLA220 CDI, output goes up to 204 hp/150 kW from the standard 170 hp/125 kW, with peak torque of 420 Nm (Series: 350 Nm).
Carlsson offers a three-year warranty on all their parts and conversions. The factory warranty is unaffected when installation is done by an accredited specialist workshop, and Carlsson guarantees all its own parts in full.
For a truly individual interior, Carlsson can completely re-trim the CLA's cabin with high-quality leather and Alcantara from their in-house saddler, with colours and materials to individual request. Off- the-shelf items consist of high quality floor mats, alloy door-lock pins, illuminated sill plates, and an alloy foot pedal and footrest set.
