Brenda Priddy & Company snapped the upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, a mini CLS, back in mid-September in all its naked metal skin. The CLA is apparently an A-Class variant of the CLS that was first announced in Beijing.

The small front-wheel driven Mercedes is expected to be powered by either a 170bhp 2.2-litre four or a 208bhp, turbocharged 2.0-litre and ride on a new FWD architecture - MFA - that also underpins the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

The car's profile with reference to the leaked official shots is reminiscent of the CLS-Class while the front is similar to the A-Class, though a little bolder.

The grille is the most interesting aspect of this car (for me at least) with a dotted, concave base adding a funky background to the dominant and bold three pointed star enclosed in a circle - supported by vertical blades on either side.

The die cast model gives us a good look at the car, inside and out, including the boot space it has to offer and the engine bay. The front bumpers and air scoops looks more angular than aggressive making me wonder if the leaked official shots are clad in an AMG variant of sorts.

Picture source: Autoblog.