Mercedes-Benz's New CLA-Class Debuts, Packing Astounding Range for a Small EV

Yahoo

13-03-2025

Back in 2023, Mercedes-Benz promised its next massive leap forward would come in an unlikely place: the small CLA-class sedan. A concept shown in 2023 promised that a new electric version of the smallest Mercedes sedan would bring the efficiency lessons of the EQXX concept to a road-going EV — and now the production equivalent is finally here. This is the new CLA-Class, a subcompact electric sedan with a 492-mile driving range on the WLTP test cycle.
That claimed number is the result of a claimed 93% battery-to-wheel efficiency, a two-speed transmission, and a drag coefficient as low as 0.21. Those three elements give the 2026 CLA strong mile-per-kWh efficiency, and when coupled with a dense battery pack that has 85 kWh of usable energy, that efficiency becomes impressive range. Plus, thanks to a 320-kW charging capacity, Mercedes also claims that the car can add around 200 miles of WLTP-measured range in just 10 minutes of fast charging.
Those numbers represent range for the (rather awkwardly named) CLA250+ with EQ Technology, which is the single-motor variant of the CLA. That variant is notably rear-wheel drive, unlike the outgoing FWD internal-combustion version, powered by a 268-hp permanently excited synchronous motor equipped with a silicon carbide inverter. On the also-awkwardly-named CLA350 4Matic with EQ Technology, a second permanently excited synchronous motor that also features a silicon carbide inverter produces an additional 107 hp sent to the front wheels. The quicker model's combined output is 349 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, enough to get the CLA from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a claimed 4.8 seconds.
Because the CLA is being revealed only with a WLTP test cycle number and not an EPA one, these range numbers should be seen as fairly optimistic; American range results are typically more stringent. Still, our back-of-the-napkin math suggests the range officially advertised in the U.S. should be close to 400 miles. Ultimately, it's a difference of measurement rather than any variation in actual efficiency, so American buyers are still getting the same impressive performance as their EU counterparts.
Buyers who suffer from truly severe range anxiety, however, will be able to buy the car with a more conventional hybrid setup, complete with a four-cylinder from the brand's new FAME modular engine family. These models are 48-volt mild hybrids, with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery. Mercedes says that the car can drive under electric power only at low speeds and "glide" by coasting with a decoupled drivetrain at speeds up to 60 mph. Performance numbers for the internal combustion model have not been shared yet.
The new CLA is slightly bigger than its predecessor, standing 1.6 inches longer end-to-end and packing 2.4 inches of extra length in the wheelbase. This takes the car further from its subcompact roots, but the difference translates to extra space in the front row and additional headroom for both rows. Electric CLAs also get a frunk, a notable omission on the brand's previous EQ-branded EVs.
A fixed single-pane panoramic roof is standard across the lineup. The steering wheel unfortunately still features irritating capacitive buttons, but Mercedes claims that controls have been simplified and refined from the brand's frustrating current-generation offering. The huge central screen can be replaced by an optional dashboard-length "Superscreen," which is made up of three different displays along one single element. If a buyer doesn't opt for the "Superscreen," star-shaped lights fill the space along the passenger dashboard.
On some models, the stars on the passenger dashboard are backlit. Other prominent lighting features involving the brand's three-pointed stars can be seen in the headlights and tail lights, similar to a design first previewed in the 2023 concept. Stars surrounding the central logo also light up on EV versions, creating a more 3-D look on the black front panel where a grille would go on internal combustion CLA models.
Electric CLA variants will lead the lineup into showrooms, followed by hybrid models. Given that the last-generation CLA was offered as an AMG model with a ridiculous 416 hp from a four-cylinder engine, we fully expect that performance versions of the next CLA should follow shortly after the more conventional variants launch.
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