I was fully prepared to utterly dislike the Mercedes-Benz CLA Hybrid. I’ve been a bit lukewarm on the CLA since I first drove the all-electric version last year at an event in Copenhagen. Denmark’s roads aren’t a great playground for testing a new car, so I came away feeling slightly unfulfilled. I’ve never appreciated the looks of this new CLA. I was a fan of the old model – low, sleek, handsome, just practical enough – but this new one has bulked up so that it can accommodate a chunky battery for the EV model under the floor, and the rather fish-faced mouth is unappealing.Equally, who decided that sticking hundreds of tiny three-pointed stars to Mercedes’ cars was a good or classy decision? They just look daft – a Mercedes three-pointed star – standing for the company’s prowess at making engines for land, sea, and air – should be a coveted thing. It should only appear in three locations; bonnet, boot, and steering wheel. Anything else is just trashy.Those hoping for a reprieve when you sit inside will be disappointed. Our test car thankfully lacked the needless extra screen on the passenger’s side, but that was replaced by a panel with even more pointless stars. Equally, the dashboard layout, using the predictable pairing of a big infotainment screen and a smaller driver’s digital display, doesn’t look classy enough for a Mercedes. Mercedes Benz CLA hybrid The CLA’s plastics feel uniformly cheap, and the doors and boot clang shut when they should say “whump”.So far, so bad, and you can understand why I came to this CLA Hybrid with, at the very least, reservations. Then things started to improve. The fact that this hybrid-engined version switches to front-wheel drive, compared to the electric CLA’s rear-drive set-up, feels like a downgrade, but actually this car has a very impressive power train. Mercedes Benz CLA hybrid Mercedes Benz CLA hybrid The 1.5 litre petrol engine is backed up by a 22kW electric motor and, combined, the two power sources produce 184hp, which isn’t too shabby. Claimed CO2 emissions are a relatively trim 115g/km, and the claimed fuel economy of 5.4 litres per 100km is realistic; we averaged a very decent 5.7 litres per 100km. What really draws you in, though, is how the CLA drives. For a start, even with front-wheel drive, it has excellent steering, which is lightly weighted but which also manages to feel quick, direct and accurate. True, accelerate hard and you can occasionally feel a light tug as the traction control tries to work everything out, but otherwise the CLA feels spectacularly easy to guide and not a little rewarding for the keen driver too. A run-up over a favourite tight and twisty mountain road proved that even this supposedly humble CLA has an insatiable appetite for corners, and it’s genuinely fun to drive. Equally impressive is the CLA’s refinement. Over that same mountain road, the suspension proved to be firm but with a supple sense of absorption at the edges of the spring and dampers’ performance enveloped. The CLA eases gently over urban speed bumps, but it keeps its body tightly under control when the corners and difficult surfaces are coming at you. It’s also very quiet in the CLA’s cabin. True, the 1.5-litre petrol engine does growl a bit too much at times when you’re accelerating hard (a common hybrid complaint), but otherwise it’s pretty silent. The sealing out of wind noise by the frameless door glass is really good. At a motorway cruise, the CLA is in its element, gliding along with minimal effort. Mercedes Benz CLA hybrid Mercedes Benz CLA hybrid Other good stuff? The unbranded standard sound system is good, there’s just enough space in the back seats for the CLA to count as practical and kudos to Mercedes for not bothering with the complication of an electric boot lid. The heavily sprung boot on this CLA bounces open by itself, and it’s no bother at all to just slam it shut yourself. There are still some niggles, though. The new MB.EA software for the touchscreen is impressively responsive but it’s awkward to use, with a confusing menu layout, and that’s not helped by the fact that the screen is slightly low-set, making it harder to glance at safely when you’re driving. The driving position is set too high relative to the dashboard – a lower and snugger position would have made the whole experience feel even better. The eight-speed automatic also tends to trip over its lower gears somewhat at low speeds, and could do with snappier, faster changes. The CLA is not cheap, by any yardstick. Perhaps no Mercedes should be, but a starting price above €53,000 is tough, and our test car, in AMG Line spec with some options, rang the tills to the tune of €64,520. There’s also some tough competition coming, not least from Mercedes itself, which has just announced a €73,000 starting price for its high-tech new electric C-Class saloon, and it’s not hard at all to spec a CLA up to that sort of cost. The new BMW i3 electric four-door is also imminent, and Volvo is hard at work on an ES60 saloon based on the impressive new SPA3 platform that we’ve tried, and loved, under the new EX60 SUV. For now, though, the CLA – especially given that it comes in both hybrid and electric flavours – has the floor to itself and, darn it, for all the niggles and annoyances, I was close to heartbroken to see this car go back. It’s really that good. Lowdown: Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 HybridPower: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 22kW e-motor producing 184hp and 250Nm (engine) + 200Nm (e-motor) of torque and powering the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. CO2 emissions (annual motor tax): 115g/km (€190). Fuel consumption: 5.4l/100km (WLTP); 5.7l/100km (Observed) 0-100km/h: 8.0 secs. Price: €64,520 as tested, CLA starts from €53,425 Our rating: 4/5. Verdict: Lots of niggles and annoyances, but this CLA is genuinely superb to drive.