These days, you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get some real-deal AMG performance from Mercedes-Benz, as they’ve spread their high-performance love throughout their lineup. So, let’s go for some high-speed bargain hunting in the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.

You may think of big cars and bigger horsepower when you hear AMG, but this updated 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 4-door Coupe is certainly not a big car, yet there’s no doubt it packs a serious performance punch. The CLA is not the least expensive Mercedes you can currently buy in the U.S., but it is their lowest priced car, and it feels more right-size than small-size behind the wheel.

It’s a fun, enjoyable ride that lets you know what you’re in for right away with a nice raspy exhaust note at start up. Standard engine in the base CLA 250 is of course a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo, but it is ‘Benz’s latest with mild-hybrid assistance and a rating of 221-horsepower.

This CLA 35 is one of two AMG versions which cranks the turbo up to boost output to 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque; the CLA 45 S, goes even further with a full rebuild to crank it up to 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. The CLA is front-wheel-drive based but is sending power to all four wheels by the time it leaves the AMG shop with performance-tuned AMG 4MATIC.

AMG has done serious suspension tuning as well, and the great feedback that it provides through the AMG Performance steering wheel is a big part of this car’s fun-factor. But our test car came equipped with winter tires, which did hold us back a little bit through the cones at our Mason Dixon test track. Still, it felt both agile and fun and body roll was minimal. Not until we pushed hard could we really feel the lack of dry pavement grip from those tires. On the other hand, a few days after track day, we actually did have some winter weather to drive through and then we were very appreciative of the grip those winter tires provided.

With some assistance from AMG’s sweet launch control, which not only allowed us to launch at 3500 RPM with no wheel slip at all, but made sure the turbos were feeding full power, as we felt no turbo lag whatsoever on our quick 4.5-second trip to 60. AMG’s Speedshift eight-speed DCT lived up to its name, delivering quick and hard hits throughout the 13.1-second, 104 mph quarter-mile.

When it came time to remove speed in a hurry in our panic runs from 60 mph, those winter tires again played a factor, as the brakes felt very strong and there was very little nosedive but stops took a longer than expected 125 feet.

Now this 2nd generation CLA arrived for 2020, and for ’24 gets a subtle restyling at both ends. At the front, the grille has been redesigned, AMGs getting their own unique version with big vertical slats, prominent Mercedes star and subtle AMG badge. LED headlights are new, now labeled as High-Performance headlights, joined by upgraded rear taillights and a very aggressive looking AMG diffuser with big exhaust outlets. The back-up camera is smoothly hidden in a flip-out Mercedes badge. Multiple new wheel designs are available with sizes up to 19-inches.

Inside the CLA’s cabin, additional standard content includes a leather steering wheel and 10-inch media display. Both of which were already part of the AMG transformation, though AMG Line buyers can now add some heat elements to their sport steering wheel.

As we’ve seen with most Mercedes updates, both the virtual gauge cluster and the central touchscreen reside in a single housing mounted on top of the dash, upgraded with the latest MBUX software.

Pricing for the CLA 35 starts at $56,100, with the more powerful 45 S coming in at $66,550.

Bottom line, the folks in Stuttgart have given us a 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 that’s clearly better without messing it up. That’s certainly good news to us, as these days we seem to be getting less and paying more for just about everything. So, while you might not think the new CLA 35 sounds like a bargain, there is no better gateway into the amazing world of AMG performance.

Kia has been selling battery-electric vehicles for 10 years now, from funky souls, to purpose-built performance machines like the EV6 GT. Well, now they’re aiming their pure-electric know-how directly at the heart of the family SUV market with the three-row EV9.

New battery-electric vehicles are arriving at an accelerated pace. But one thing we’re still relatively short on is reasonably priced, big family-minded crossovers, something that Kia has delivered with the all-new, all-electric 2024 EV9.

It boasts all the credentials of a typical big family SUV; three rows of seating for either six or seven passengers, 7.8 inches of ground clearance, cavernous cargo capacity, 5,000-lbs tow rating, and available all-wheel drive for all-roads, not all-terrain.

In that vein, the EV9 looks more muscular than rugged, and is about the same size as Kia’s gas-powered three-row Telluride. Just a tad longer with a more aerodynamic shape; at least we hope that’s the reasoning behind these optional 20-inch alloys, as they don’t do much for the eyes. It’s equal parts smooth and boxy, with a big hood that seems to stretch on for days; and you’d think there’d be more storage space under there, but just a small compartment.

Looking over that hood from behind the wheel, the EV9 does feel large and SUV-like. Yet, also again like Telluride, it is very pleasant to drive, especially if you’re in a hurry, as power delivery in Sport mode is no joke.

Kia’s “segment above” interior philosophy shows itself in build quality and materials that are indeed above typical mass-market family trucksters. And, like Volvo, does it with mostly vegan and recycled materials. The dual-display cockpit setup is similar to other Kias, with both screens in a single housing and camera feeds coming up right in the 12-inch gauge display. But the overall dash design is cleaner and simpler. A big dual level center console keeps it from having the open floor plan of some EVs, but it offers lots of practical storage and easy to access wireless phone charging.

Kia understands there’s a good chance you’ll be sitting at a charging station on occasion, so not only are front seats very comfortable with some of the best headrests we’ve experienced in some time, but it can send you into relax or nap mode with just a press of a button. Second-row captain’s chairs in our Land-trimmed tester are pretty special too, with heat and ventilation, their own set of climate controls, and plenty of storage and charge ports. The third row is a 50/50 split-folding bench with 20.2 cubic-feet of storage space behind it and 43.5 with it folded, maxing out at 81.7 with second-row seatbacks folded as well.

As for more important energy storage, standard battery is 76.1 kWh rated for 230 miles, while the available long-range 99.8-kWh battery delivers up to 304 miles. Our long-range all-wheel drive Land is rated at 280 miles, and we were on pace for exactly that in our mileage test. Same 800-volt charging setup as the EV6 will take a full 350-kW fast charge that gets you to 80% in less than 25 minutes. And using 41 kWh of energy per 100 miles, the EV9 earns a fair efficiency rating.

A single rear motor with 215 horsepower is standard in the EV9, while stepping up to the long-range battery gets a slightly reduced output of 201 horsepower. Adding a front motor ups total output to 379 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque as in our Land tester; top dual-motor GT-Lines get additional torque, at 516 lb-ft.

At our Mason Dixon test track, our Land ate up quite a bit of land in a hurry, sprinting to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, launching hard and drama free consistently. Yes, we’re at the point where big family SUVs rip off consistent mid-fours and feel totally safe and stable while doing it. The monster torque delivery did taper off a bit once we got past 60, but the EV9 was still building speed quickly. Spring track maintenance kept us from running a full quarter-mile, but we’d put the EV9 easily in the 13s.

Steering was very light though the cones of our handling course, but the EV9 was quick, quiet, and agile; with stability systems gently stepping in before we could really get a sense of any oversteer or understeer. Stops from 60 mph averaged a great 109 feet; there was some nosedive, but good stability overall.

EV9 Pricing starts under 60K, specifically with the Light rear-wheel drive at $56,395, extending to the all-wheel drive GT-Line at $75,395. Our dual-motor Land is in between at $71,395.

Highly refined, plenty capable, and a joy to drive are just a few of the reasons we made the EV9 one of our Best EV Drivers’ Choice Award winners for 2024. It really is a Telluride with a battery electric heart. So, we think the 2024 Kia EV9 clearly delivers the goods! It’s the forward-thinking choice for those considering a switch to battery power for their next big family ride.