Comparative test Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake vs. Peugeot 508 SW – Double test

These cars are not new, so why a double test?

The current generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLA has been around since 2019. At the time, the car remained true to the ‘four-door coupe’ concept of its predecessor, which was also available as a ‘Shooting Brake’. Mercedes’ rebellion is certainly not new, but that actually also applies to Peugeot. With the launch of the current 508, that brand took an even clearer step by suddenly turning a once quite conservative D-segmenter into a much lower, sportier model. This was at the expense of some space and practicality, but that was of course a very deliberate choice. Normal cars in this segment are actually only sold if they are extremely large and called Skoda Superb, so Peugeot decided to deliberately take a different tack. That seems to work, because the 508 is certainly not a rare sight on Dutch roads. A rare athletic appearance, by the way, and Peugeot has now made some changes to that special appearance. New headlights, a new grille, differently arranged rear lights and even new logos make the 508 clearly different from before, although in our opinion the whole still looks harmonious. The CLA has also been updated, but you have to look a lot closer for that. Mercedes sticks to slightly differently arranged light units and a new front bumper, the latter also having consequences for the grille.

Especially the plug-in hybrid versions? How far can they go electrically?

In both cases, the necessary changes have also been made under the skin, at least in the case of the plug-in hybrid versions that shine here. Don’t expect a total revolution, as we sometimes see in the field of PHEVs, but in theory the refinement will provide some extra kilometers of electric driving range. In the case of the Mercedes, this is now a very decent 78 kilometers, the Peugeot is stuck at 62 kilometers. The 508 therefore has a smaller battery than the Mercedes, but in practice the difference is even greater and you will clearly drive electric more often with the CLA. Moreover, the Mercedes is also more economical than the 508 and the battery is full again faster thanks to a 3-phase charger and an optional fast charging function, so in this area the points go to Germany in every possible way. However, the Peugeot strikes back. In other words: the Mercedes powertrain has a hidden disadvantage. This only comes to the fore when we exchange theory for practice and really start driving the cars, because the Mercedes drivetrain is simply not that pleasant to handle. It often reacts sullenly when pressing the accelerator and is regularly misled when choosing a drivetrain, while the 1.3-liter four-cylinder – known from the CLA 200 – also sounds a bit raw. Even with the throttle off, the shift points of the eight-speed DCT automatic transmission – one gear more than a petrol CLA – are clearly felt and everything is far from smooth. The Peugeot does this better and that surprises us somewhat, especially because drivetrains with the commonly used EAT8 automatic transmission are usually also somewhat temperamental. In this case, however, the collaboration runs smoothly, with the box of course being helped by the combination of an electric motor and a relatively large 1.6-liter turbo engine. In this case, the combination produces 225 hp (compared to 218 hp for the Mercedes), but since the facelift the 508 is also available as a 180 hp plug-in hybrid. Based on previous experiences with other models with that drivetrain, it might be a good idea to go for that. The 225 hp version certainly has enough power. This applies even more to the Mercedes’ drivetrain, which reaches 100 km/h a little faster from a standstill. You can adjust the degree of energy recovery in the Mercedes with the paddles on the steering wheel, but the car can also determine it itself based on the circumstances. In the 508 this is done in a less advanced way: there is a B position in which the car brakes more strongly than in D.