Mercedes B-Class, CLA and GLA get engine tweaks, more models and DYNAMIC SELECT

Hot on the heels of the Mercedes A-Class facelift, Mercedes rolls out a range of engine and other tweaks for the rest of its compact range –  B-Class, CLA and GLA.

It’s only a little over a months since the Mercedes A-Class got a facelift, with more options, greener engines and more power, especially the range-topping A45 AMG which gained an additional 21bhp.

Within a few weeks of the A-Class’s facelift, Mercedes also announced it was rolling out the A45’s power upgrade to the rest of the compact range, and now the more prosaic models in the B-Class, CLA and GLA come in for some updates too.

Mercedes is adding the availability of DYNAMIC SELECT for all its compact models, which allows drivers to select from Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual modes to modify the car’s engine, gearbox, steering and Air Con to suit mood and needs, with the GLA with DYNAMIC SELECT also getting an Off-Road mode.

Mercedes is also rolling out its new nomenclature on the compact models, with the old ‘CDI’ suffix being replaced by a single ‘d’ and the B-Class ED becoming the B 250 e.

There’s also a new entry-level B-Class – the B 160 – with a 101bhp 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine, good for 62mph in 10.7 seconds and a B 180 d Blue Efficiency with a 1.5 litre diesel and good for emissions of just 94g/km.

The CLA Shooting Brake gets three new additional models – the new FWD CLA 200 d and 4WD CLA 200 d 4MATIC and CLA 220 d 4MATIC – and the CLA 250 Sport and 250 Sport 4MATIC also get an extr 7bhp.

The GLA 220 d also gets an extra 7bhp and now comes with Mercedes’ latest Infotainment with a 7″ screen or, as an option or if you spec it with COMAND, an 8″ screen.

Finally, smartphone integration arrives from the beginning of 2016 with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink.