2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV Succeeds with a Less-Is-More Approach

Car and Driver

5 days ago

If an electric car is like a plant-based meat alternative to a gasoline car, then many of today's EVs are like Burger King Impossible Whoppers. They're packaged in familiar SUV wrappers and stuffed with massive battery packs and powerful electric motors in an attempt to convince the buying public that they're just as good as their gas-powered equivalents.
Mercedes-Benz is taking a different approach with the new electric version of the CLA entry-level luxury sedan. This new model focuses on intelligence rather than excess, promising impressive range figures thanks to its efficient powertrain that makes the most out of the battery pack. It's a refreshing change from the overweight, overpowered, and overbearing electric SUVs proliferating across the market, and it has an appealing taste all its own.
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EV and Gas Versions in Harmony
The CLA is also significant in that it marks a new approach for Mercedes-Benz with its electric lineup. The company is moving away from its EV-specific platforms and the EQ-badged models that looked nothing like their gasoline stablemates. The new strategy is based around platforms that can accommodate both gas and electric powertrains, such as the new MMA architecture found under this new CLA. This also means that the electric CLA looks pretty much identical to the upcoming hybrid version that arrives later.
The latest CLA is the third generation of this small Mercedes four-door, and the first two served to lower the price of entry for the Mercedes-Benz brand. The new model will likely again be the least expensive Mercedes you can buy in the U.S., although we don't yet have pricing for either the hybrid or the (likely) more costly EV. It looks cute and modern, although the front-end treatment with a full-width headlight bar and a star pattern in the grille is a bit cheesy.
Its economy-car roots are visible inside, where there are hard plastics on the lower portions of the dashboard and the center console, but it avoids feeling low-rent. The abundance of screens—including a large digital gauge cluster, a central infotainment screen, and an optional passenger's-side screen—distracts from the less impressive materials, and there are many interesting trim and upholstery choices. You can go in a sporty direction with carbon-fiber trim and stripes on the seats with the AMG Line package or opt for classier environs with wood and high-end leather options.
How Does It Drive?
We've already detailed the technical aspects of the CLA's innovative powertrain, including its highly efficient electric motors, its two-speed transmission, and its 85-kWh battery pack. The main info left to glean was how it drives. During our drive in Copenhagen, Denmark, we spent most of our time in the rear-wheel-drive CLA250+, which has a 268-hp electric motor on the rear axle. The acceleration wasn't neck-snapping, but it felt responsive, and the single-motor setup offered an appropriate level of power for a vehicle of this size. The steering effort is light and lends the car a nimble feel.
With an estimated curb weight of around 4500 pounds, the CLA isn't quite a featherweight, but the nicely tuned chassis avoids the heavy-handed feel of other EVs. We also liked the tuning of the regenerative braking, which offers four settings: automatic recuperation (D Auto), no recuperation (D+), standard recuperation (D), and enhanced recuperation (D-). The D+ setting lets you coast effortlessly on the highway, while the D- mode allows for one-pedal driving. The shifting of the two-speed transmission—with the second, higher gear used mostly for greater efficiency at higher speeds—is barely noticeable.
We also briefly drove the dual-motor, 349-hp CLA350, which offers considerably more grunt and all-wheel drive. It's quicker for sure, but we missed the 250+ model's agility, as the CLA350 4Matic felt heavier and less playful, with a firmer suspension tune. Some may prefer the extra scoot, but this model feels out of step with the CLA's less-is-more approach. The CLA350 also gives up quite a bit of range and efficiency compared to its lower-powered sibling.
Range and Charging Specifics
As for range, U.S.-specific EPA estimates aren't yet available, but based on everything we know so far, the numbers should be big. We're expecting upwards of 350 miles of range in CLA250+ form. Mercedes also makes big claims in terms of charging, thanks to the 800-volt electrical system, saying that it will charge at up to 320 kilowatts and that it will be able to go from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in 22 minutes. There's been a bit of a hullabaloo about the U.S.-spec car, with its NACS port, and its ability, or lack thereof, to use 400-volt Tesla Superchargers, but Mercedes seems to have fixed this issue.
Depending on the CLA EV's starting price, it could be a compelling contender among other electric sedans. Its chief rivals will be the BMW i4, the Hyundai Ioniq 6, and the Tesla Model 3. If this smart-driving Mercedes can match or offer more range than them for a similar starting price, it could land with a splash when it arrives in the U.S. later this year.
Specifications
Specifications
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology
Vehicle Type: rear- or front- and rear-motor, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: CLA250+, $55,000; CLA350 4Matic, $65,000
POWERTRAIN (CLA250+)
Motor: current-excited synchronous AC, 268 hp, 247 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 85 kWh
Onboard Charger: 9.6 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 320 kW
Transmission: 2-speed automatic
POWERTRAIN (CLA350 4Matic)
Front Motor: current-excited synchronous AC, 107 hp
Rear Motor: current-excited synchronous AC, 242 hp
Combined Power: 349 hp
Combined Torque: 380 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 85 kWh
Onboard Charger: 9.6 kW
Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 320 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive/2-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 109.8 in
Length: 185.9 in
Width: 73.0 in
Height: 57.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 56/38 ft3
Trunk Volume: 14 ft3
Front Trunk Volume: 3 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4600–4800 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.7–6.5 sec
100 mph: 11.6–12.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.4–14.4 sec
Top Speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Range: 354–367 mi
Reviewed by
Joey Capparella
Deputy Editor, Rankings Content
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City. Read full bio
This content is imported from Third party. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.