Those youngsters are staring at a car whose mechanicals are, for the most part, rather ordinary. The structure is a straightforward steel unified shell to which are attached a simple strut front suspension and a more complex five-link independent system in the back. The rack-and-pinion steering gets an electric assist, and the brakes are discs hooked to an antilock system. The standard wheels are 17-inchers, but Mercedes will gleefully upgrade those to 18 inches for a charge of $1,600 to $3,800.

The sole power plant is a 2-liter 4-cylinder with direct fuel injection and a turbocharger, rated at 208 horsepower. More important, Mercedes says the engine produces a consistent 258 pound-feet of torque from just off idle to 4,000 r.p.m. — the range where most street driving occurs.

Making good use of that torque is the most technically ambitious element in the package, a 7-speed dual-clutch automated transmission that is programmed to keep the engine operating in its sweet spot.

The CLA250 that I drove was a front-drive machine; how it performs with all-wheel drive may differ.

Compared with other current turbocharged, direct-injected 4-cylinder engines, the CLA’s is a modest performer. For example, Kia rates the 2-liter direct-injected turbo 4 in its well-equipped $28,300 Optima SX sedan at 274 horsepower with peak torque of 269 pound-feet.

The Mercedes engine delivers its power seamlessly and doesn’t make much racket, but so does the Kia. The failure to significantly distinguish the CLA engine’s output and character from that of putatively less regal Korean models is telling.

It takes a conscious stoop to lower one’s self into the driver’s seat, but that chair is well shaped. It’s a bit more treacherous getting into the rear, since the sloping roof practically guarantees that an adult man will bang his head. The combination of a low roof with a relatively high beltline results in a cabin with a certain bunkerlike intimacy. Outward visibility, particularly to the rear, is somewhat constrained.

The interior is self-consciously sporty, mixing traditional Mercedes elements with trendier touches. So the power seats are controlled by switches on the doors that resemble the seat cushions, just as in an E-Class, while the oversize circular air vents that dominate the dash appear big enough to ventilate the Lincoln Tunnel.