Mercedes CLA 35 AMG review

To put it simply, the CLA 35 is no different to a standard Mercedes CLA in the practicality stakes. That means plenty of space up front for a couple of 6ft-plus adults, especially if you avoid the head room-stealing optional panoramic sunroof, and there's decent oddment storage, too.

A pair of tall mates also will fit in the rear, but you can expect their heads to brush the roof and their knees to touch the backs of the seat in front. Overall, rear space is broadly on a par with that of the BMW M235i Gran Coupe – there’s more leg room in the BMW, but less head room; if you need to carry adults in the rear regularly, we’d recommend looking at the A35 hatch.

Like the rear seats, there’s nothing spectacular about the boot of the CLA 35, but it’s roomy enough for a big weekly shop or a week away for two. In fact, the CLA’s boot is fractionally larger than the M235i’s and its rear seats split in a handy 40/20/40 configuration, unlike the BMW that only offers a 60/40 split.