The FWD-biased, AWD luxury compact appears to be a slowly-growing segment in the new car market. For consumers who are after traditional, 4-door small car offerings, instead of compact crossovers (whether by creed, or by dimensional familiarity), and also want a solid amount of luxury and tech, there is quite a bit to choose from. To answer the very subjective question of whether the 2020 Mercedes Benz AMG CLA35 is the 2020 version of the 190E Cossie: no, it isn’t. However, considering where the CLA is size-wise in MB’s lineup, it’s sporty styling, four doors, motorsports-inspired accents, hopped-up engine, fun-to-drive dynamics, and sporty interior, it’s quite apparent that the CLA35 AMG and legendary W201 are cut from the same performance-loving cloth, just a good 30 years apart.
