It may seem a little old-fashioned to have an awards category for saloon cars, but the saloon has proven impressively resilient and adaptable. Not the estate, not the MPV and not the SUV have been able to replace it, and in the EV era the aerodynamic advantages of a low-slung car with a teardrop rear end give it a head start in the range race. It's no wonder, then, that Mercedes-Benz chose to launch its brand-new breakout EV platform with a compact saloon, the CLA.