C117

Launched in 2013, the first-generation CLA Coupé rode on the MFA platform shared with the A-Class and B-Class, offering turbocharged petrol and diesel four-cylinders and, in AMG form, a turbocharged four-cylinder with genuine supercar-embarrassing acceleration. The frameless-door pillarless glasshouse and plunging roofline defined the silhouette; inside, the first mass-market Mercedes with the widescreen cockpit previewed the brand's interior direction for a decade.

The C117 CLA Coupé opened an entirely new segment for Mercedes-Benz — a compact four-door coupé that traded traditional rear-drive prestige for design impact and brought the three-pointed star to younger buyers in numbers the C-Class coupé alone could not achieve.