- The new Mercedes CLA EV has up to 492 miles of WLTP range.
- It's marginally bigger than its predecessor and will be available with hybrid or fully electric power.
- It should reach showrooms before the end of the year.
Mercedes has been teasing the new CLA and building hype for months, and now we finally get to see what all that was about. The third-generation CLA is a completely new model, built on a new platform and available with either electric or hybrid power. It's a total reset for Mercedes' EV strategy, which got off to a rocky start.
It retains some of the previous generation’s visual character, but it’s a bigger car with different proportions. It’s just over an inch taller than the outgoing model, it rides on a 2.4-inch longer wheelbase and it’s 1.3 inches longer overall. At 185.9 inches in length, it’s virtually identical in size to a Tesla Model 3, although around 10% heavier.
The interior is completely new, and it features Mercedes’ new infotainment system, which can have up to three screens in the front. New materials will make the CLA’s cabin feel special, including one made out of recycled paper that looks great and is very pleasant to the touch. According to Mercedes, spilling coffee on it won’t stain and ruin it.
We’ve discussed the MMA platform that underpins the new CLA sedan at length. It will also be used in a wagon version of the CLA, as well as eventual replacements for the current EQA and EQB crossovers (though with different names). The latter should offer a seven-seater layout like the model that’s on sale today.
The Electric CLA
The electric version of the CLA will be available with two battery sizes: 58 kilowatt-hours or 85 kWh. The latter gives the single-motor CLA 250+ a claimed WLTP range of up to 492 miles (792 kilometers) on the more generous WLTP cycle. Going for the more powerful dual-motor CLA 350 4Matic doesn’t affect maximum range too much, dropping to 479 miles (771 km).
The CLA 250+ will be the base model at launch, with 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque and an estimated 0 to 60 mph time of 6.6 seconds. The 349 hp and 380 lb-ft CLA 350 4Matic cuts the sprint time to 4.8 seconds, but both variants are electronically limited to 130 mph.
Mercedes hasn’t published any figures for the smaller 58-kWh LFP battery, which will equip the cheapest electric versions of the new CLA. Models with that pack may also get a lower power output. They surely won’t charge at the same 320 kilowatts that NMC battery-equipped cars can, an incredible peak speed courtesy of the CLA's 800-volt architecture. North American buyers will also be able to charge natively at Tesla Superchargers, courtesy of the CLA's North American Charging System (NACS) port. For those who already have a J1772 plug at home at work (the slow charging component of CCS), note that the CLA gets one of those ports, too.
Another advantage of the 800-volt platform is its superior running efficiency, partly explaining why the CLA can stretch 85 kWh to travel almost 800 kilometers. Mercedes made sure to let us know that the CLA recorded impressive efficiency numbers during testing, posting a Lucid-Air-rivaling 5.17 miles/kWh (12 kWh/100 km).
One unique feature of the electric CLA is its 2.5-cubic-foot frunk, which complements the 14.3-cubic-foot trunk. First-generation Mercedes-EQ cars didn't have frunks at all, so clearly Mercedes has improved its packaging game. On the topic of interior room and practicality, even though the new CLA is slightly larger than before with a longer wheelbase, this doesn’t necessarily translate into a roomier cabin.
Mercedes points out that while front and rear headroom is improved in the new car, there is less rear legroom and shoulder room, and the trunk is 1.9 cu-ft smaller too. I’m about six feet tall, and I didn’t find the rear of the CLA especially accommodating. Just like in the EQA and EQB, the floor is oddly high, pushing your legs up. There’s not enough room under the front seat for you to slide your feet under.
The Hybrid CLA
If you want the new CLA with a hybrid powertrain, you get what looks like the same car but with quite a few differences. The biggest one is the completely different floorpan, which no longer needs to hold the battery. That means the rear footwells are deeper, making the hybrid more comfortable than the pure EV.
It loses the frunk, which is replaced by a new 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with power outputs up to 190 horsepower. Mercedes hasn’t published specs for the CLA hybrid, but base models will be front-wheel-drive with power optionally also going to the rear axle. The CLA EV single-motor is rear-wheel drive, and it rides visibly higher than the hybrid to accommodate a battery in its floor.
It will be easiest to tell the two apart when looking at them from the front, since they have different grille designs. Both have a star pattern, but the EV’s grille is completely closed off and has illuminated stars. Mercedes is also introducing an illuminated badge in the CLA, but the level of illumination will differ depending on the market.
Mercedes developed the 1.5-liter M252 four-cylinder engine for its new line of entry-level models with efficiency in mind. It runs on the Miller cycle, and it uses a 48-volt electrical system to power not only the hybrid part of the powertrain but also to run the air conditioning, which remains active even when the engine is off and the car is running only on electricity. Mercedes has previously said that the most powerful version of the engine—the only version slated for the U.S.—will make 188 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. Combined with a hybrid system making more power, that should be plenty.
The transmission in all CLA hybrids will be the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic, which Mercedes actually says is a three-clutch with the electric drive motor integrated. The third clutch is used to disengage the engine from the wheels completely, allowing the car to coast at up to 62 mph (100 km/h). Above this speed, the engine stays on.
The electric CLA also has a transmission, a two-speed unit that works with the rear motor. This is similar to the Porsche Taycan whose transimssion is meant to enhance acceleration while not compromising high-speed cruising efficiency.
Toys
Mercedes says no other rival matches the CLA’s level of standard equipment. All cars get LED headlights, power-folding mirrors, a sport steering wheel, heated front seats, single-zone climate control and four fast-charging 100-watt USB-C ports. However, the Tesla Model 3 gets a lot more standard equipment, including cooled front seats and heated rear seats, a screen in the back for rear occupants, who also get a third climate control zone, a double wireless phone charger and electrically adjustable everything.
Like the Model 3, the CLA gets a panoramic glass roof as standard. It’s a vast glass panel that makes up the entire roof, and it helps make being the back seat a lot more bearable. Also, like in the Model 3, there’s no cover for the glass roof. Mercedes says the glass is treated well enough that a cover isn’t needed. Tesla also says this about the Model 3, and it still cooks you in the summer, so we won’t take Mercedes’ word for it on this one.
If you like screens, then you’ll like the CLA, which debuts Mercedes new interior design style. The dashboard is a single flat piece with either two or three screens on it. The driver gets a 10.25-inch display complemented by a 14-inch central screen. Optionally, you can add a second 14-inch screen in front of the passenger, offering pretty much the same functionality as the one in the middle.
Mercedes says it’s upped the premium interior ambiance compared to the outgoing model, and it’s certainly achieved that through the use of pleasant-feeling materials and the overall design. However, the absence of any rear climate controls and only two buttons on the driver’s door to control all four side windows betrays the model’s entry-level positioning. There’s plenty of ambient lighting, though, which runs along the underside of the main dash panel, around the front door cards and in the center console storage space.
The optional Bowers & Wilkins sound system with Dolby Atmos is a real highlight and definitely a must-have option on the new CLA.
With its EQXX-inspired design and technology, the CLA is a step forward for the nameplate, but what will really determine its success will be its price point. Mercedes hasn’t announced pricing yet, but it should be revealed in the next few months with additional details about the model. If it's cheap enough, Mercedes could have a real hit on its hands.
