The new Mercedes Benz CLA Class introduces the brand to a whole new class, and will attract a new type of customers to the three-pointed star. It is a small, front-wheel-drive sedan, priced under $30,000. The car looks good enough for Mercedes not to worry about it selling like hot cakes, but how is the CLA like as a compact sedan, what with it being Mercedes’ first crack at making one?

To find out, MotorTrend’s Frank Markus headed to Saint Tropez to attend the car’s press drive event, and sampled a 2.0 liter version with 208 horsepower. Here’s the verdict: