Latest news with #MercedesCLA
Auto Express
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Assumption is the mother of most terrible car purchases
Trying not to make assumptions is a good rule for life in general, but it's a particularly helpful philosophy to stick to when you're buying a new car – and will go a long way to help you avoid disappointment. Case in point: the all-new, highly advanced Mercedes CLA is being billed as a potential game-changer in the world of electric cars, with the company's website claiming that the super-sleek saloon can add up to 200 miles of range in just 10 minutes of charging, among other incredibly impressive feats. Advertisement - Article continues below However, as we recently discovered, the electric 'CLA with EQ Technology' currently isn't compatible with the vast majority of the UK's rapid chargers, which is a potentially major problem that the fine print on Merc's website carefully tries to skirt around. And I highly doubt the salespeople working on commission will rush to admit this issue to potential customers, which means drivers may only discover this after they've brought the car, or in the absolute worst case scenario, after running low on juice in the middle of the night! A less catastrophic (but still pretty annoying) issue my sister had to deal with recently is that her brand-new £30k MINI Cooper – an otherwise excellent car – bafflingly doesn't come with adaptive high-beam headlights as standard. This wouldn't be that much of an issue in itself, but it turns out that on a MINI you can activate adaptive high beams – quite a basic feature that most people would expect all modern premium cars to have – if you're willing to pay a subscription of up to £70 per year, or a £150 one-off fee. New BMW customers will have shared her bewilderment, because many of them also have to pay a subscription for this feature – and various others – on their cars, but for them it costs even more. Even floor mats, one of the most basic, cheapest bits of equipment you'd expect a car to come with, aren't always offered as standard, as one of my colleagues' parents learned when dealing with a particularly tight salesperson. In short, you need to be as diligent as possible and not take anything for granted during your car-buying journey to avoid being left blindsided or feeling baffled. Even the simplest question could make all the difference, so don't be afraid to ask away. Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals…
Auto Express
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New Mercedes CLA could be incompatible with most public EV chargers
No, the headline isn't clickbait; the new Mercedes CLA could indeed be incompatible with the majority of UK public electric car chargers, as the firm has scrimped on incorporating a 400-volt DC converter. Without this feature, the new CLA that was revealed back in March will be unable to use many of the 14,000 rapid public chargepoints around the country. Advertisement - Article continues below The new CLA will be available in both hybrid and fully-electric forms, with the latter sitting on bespoke 800-volt EV underpinnings. While older EVs using 400-volt tech can plug-in and use most electric-car chargers with no issue, those with 800-volt architecture must incorporate a converter to adjust the voltage of the incoming electricity so it matches the car's battery and other systems. Without such a converter, the CLA will be blocked out of a vast majority of UK public rapid chargers. Newer, faster, 800-volt EV chargers are beginning to crop up across Europe but there are only a limited number of these here in the UK, with most chargers using 400-volt tech. There is no official line on why Mercedes decided to ditch a 400-volt converter for the new CLA, but it may well have been done for cost-cutting reasons. The new CLA is expected to start from under £50,000 and the brand envisages owners mostly charging at home using wallboxes based on slower AC technology, or via ultra-fast 800-volt DC chargers out on the road. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below In a statement, a Mercedes spokesperson told Auto Express that for the CLA, 'the focus is on high-power charging infrastructure, and the share of 800-volt DC fast-charging stations in the entire charging network is constantly increasing'. The new baby electric Merc will be able to direct drivers to compatible chargers via the sat-nav; providing you always log your charge stops via the car's mapping, you'll never unknowingly arrive at a charger you can't use. Nevertheless, this still means the new Mercedes CLA will be incompatible with a vast proportion of the UK's rapid charging network – the firm's German website clearly states that 'charging at 400-volt charging stations is not possible' – with Mercedes UK yet to reply to our question on whether a 400-volt converter will be offered on Brit-bound models. One glimmer of hope is that Mercedes will offer the CLA with a 400-volt converter in Norway, meaning that it's not impossible that after some consideration (as well as much public outcry) the German marque could do so in the UK as well. Latest Mercedes CLA deals Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car… Find a car with the experts Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen Ford Fiesta set to return? Icon could be reborn with a little help from Volkswagen The Ford Fiesta could be coming back from the dead, and our exclusive image previews how it might look New Renault 4 2025 review: as good as the Renault 5 with the bonus of extra space New Renault 4 2025 review: as good as the Renault 5 with the bonus of extra space The new Renault 4 takes everything that's good about the Renault 5 and adds extra cabin and boot space Car Deal of the Day: The almighty Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for under £500 per month Car Deal of the Day: The almighty Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for under £500 per month Our Deal of the Day for 4 May is the reigning Auto Express Performance Car of the Year
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Mercedes takes biggest swing yet at Elon Musk's Tesla as it unveils new CLA with 492-mile range
The new Mercedes CLA compact sedan can drive up to 792 kilometers, recharge nearly half its battery in ten minutes, and comes with all the creature comforts its well-heeled clientele have come to expect. It even has a frunk. Mercedes-Benz took its boldest swing yet at Elon Musk's Tesla in a bid to once more set the benchmark for luxury and innovation in the automotive industry. On Thursday, the German carmaker that invented the modern automobile reinvented its compact sedan, keeping the CLA nameplate and nothing else from the previous two generations of the baby Benz. Instead, engineers started from a clean sheet of paper to develop the most intelligent and energy-efficient car that has ever come out of its Stuttgart headquarters. Available later this year in all major markets, including the U.S., the fully electric version is rated in Europe to drive up to 792 kilometers—making it the longest-range EV on sale in the continent. While its range translates to 492 miles, the more conservative U.S. EPA has not yet rated it. Moreover, it can recharge nearly half of its battery in a matter of minutes—all for a car that is expected to cost somewhere in the vicinity of a Tesla Model 3. 'This CLA marks the start of the greatest series of car launches ever for Mercedes-Benz,' CEO Ola Källenius told guests at the car's premiere in Rome. He aims to bring 'dozens' of new and refreshed models by 2027. The past five years have been challenging for Mercedes, which saw its traditional role as the leader among premium brands torn away by Tesla. However, Musk's polarizing behavior has created an opening amid protests and boycotts to peel away customers looking to make the switch. Mercedes appears to have learned the lessons from its first dedicated effort to build a high-tech EV flagship. Competing in a niche segment of largely chauffeur-driven executive limousines, the EQS failed to connect with a conservative customer base that still prizes Merc's combustion engine S-Class sibling as the pinnacle of luxury. This time however the CLA's more aggressive styling and emphasis on software and digital intelligence fits hand-in-glove with the compact sedan's much younger target audience. That gives the company cause for hope since Mercedes has poured a lot of effort into the CLA and cannot afford another mistake. For one, the CLA uses a new, in-house-designed operating system, which will gradually be rolled out to all future Mercedes models. It adopts Tesla's approach of continually improving all aspects of the car over time through software updates. Most carmakers still struggle with that since various subsystems sourced from suppliers struggle to speak to one another in the same language. This MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) includes a new electrical system that is twice as capable as the standard EV. That means in a pinch, owners can add 325 additional kilometers of range in just ten minutes at a highway fast charging station before continuing on their way. For those worried about the durability and resilience of the battery, Mercedes says the car comes with a guarantee its battery will still retain at least 80% of its original charge after eight years or 160,000 km. Finally, alongside niceties like a frunk—a first in a Mercedes EV—and a panoramic glass roof that comes standard, the vehicle features a premium infotainment system powered by a computer chip that can calculate 254 trillion operations per second. It's so potent, it needs liquid cooling like a high-end PC gaming rig. 'The new CLA is the frontrunner and blueprint for the technology we're going to see in every new Mercedes from now on,' Källenius continued. With so much riding on the line, the chairman of the board himself took the unusual step of personally attending the CLA premiere in Rome. Typically, non-executive directors remain in the background in Germany, restricting their roles to oversight and governance. 'I'm convinced that Mercedes-Benz is ushering in a new era of digitalization and e-mobility with the all-new CLA,' raved Mercedes chair Martin Brudermüller in a post on LinkedIn. This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Yahoo
Florida woman claims Atlanta police used excessive force for window tint violation
The Brief A Florida grandmother says an Atlanta police officer used excessive force when he arrested her over the weekend for having dark tint on her windows. The 43-year-old says the officer cursed at her and yanked her out of the car. She says she recorded the encounter on her cellphone to prove it. Ebony Thomas was arrested and charged with obstruction and having windows with an illegal dark tint on them. ATLANTA - Florida resident Ebony Thomas says she was taking a friend to work on Sunday around 3:50 p.m. when an officer pulled her over at Lakewood Avenue and Jonesboro Road. She says the cell phone video she captured tells the story. What they're saying Thomas: "The lock is on the door." APD: "Unlock it." Thomas: "You just hit it. What are you doing?" APD: "Step out the car." APD: "If I tell you again, I am going to pull your a-- out of the f---ing car." Thomas says there was chaos from the very beginning when an Atlanta police officer pulled her over in her Mercedes CLA with dark tinted windows. She says she started recording with her cellphone because she hadn't done anything wrong and the officer was so aggressive. Thomas says she was afraid to move because she didn't want to be shot. "The way he is so aggressive, I am like, 'What's going on? What just happened?" she told FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor. "He yanks my seatbelt off and pulled me out the car. I had on silver flip-flops. The shoes were in the driver's side on the floor, that is just how hard he pulled me." Thomas says the officer cuffed both her and her passenger and searched the car. She says her passenger admitted to the officer that he smoked some marijuana right before Thomas picked him up, but the 43-year-old grandmother said she had done nothing wrong. She says a female recruit on the scene agreed with her. "She's like, 'You are right. You didn't do nothing.' I said, 'You are admitting I did nothing, but I am still being arrested and detained?'" Thomas questioned. The officer later released the male passenger and allowed him to go, but Thomas went straight to the Fulton County Jail. "'I'm taking her to jail because her mouth is slick,'" Thomas said the officer said in front of her. She was charged with obstruction and dark tinted windows. She was taken to the Fulton County Jail where she says she had to pay $3,700 to bond out. What we know Thomas has since reported the arrest to the Atlanta Police Department's Internal Affairs, alleging excessive force by the officer. The department says it is looking into the matter. The Source This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Aungelique Proctor.
