Tell me about the Mercedes CLA

Right, well, to be clear – this car that Nic is stood next to is not the new Mercedes CLA. This is the Mercedes-Benz CLA Concept Class, which gives us a really good glimpse at what we can expect from the next generation of electric Mercs. 

Now, first thing we noticed is the sheer number of Mercedes logos. You’re not going to miss that this is a Mercedes, are you? Anyway, the CLA concept will eventually become the new CLA, and it’s aimed right at the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4. I know EVERYBODY says EVERYTHING is a Tesla rival as some sort of internet catnip, but the Model 3 is obviously the target for this car, as Mercedes is a bit bored of all its customers defecting – especially company car drivers. 

And Mercedes isn’t messing about, here. How about a range of 466 miles? Efficiency of 5.2 miles per kWh? And recharging speeds of around 250 miles in 15 minutes? 

What will the Mercedes CLA look like? 

Well, it will look quite a lot like this CLA Concept Class that Nic has been to see so that you can watch her video, right here. That lovely sweeping profile, and those very cool light designs will stay. The rear end and rear lights look almost Ferrari-esque – especially in the gorgeous metallic red of this concept. Very pretty! The sparkly grille is unlikely to make it, due to the cost and also various legislative aspects, which is a shame as it is rather beautiful.  

Mercedes has released a shot of the finished production car in disguise, so here’s a look at that, in all its annoying camouflage… 

What’s it like inside?  

Honestly? It’s absolutely gorgeous. Everything has beautiful ambient lighting, the trademark Mercedes rotary vents and style cues look fabulous, and the enormous ‘Hyperscreen’ infotainment system is a real standout feature, too. 

A lot of the materials are a mix of a paper and hemp, for maximum environmental sustainability. There’s even a centre console that’s supposed to mimic a ‘nerve centre’ running to the car’s water-cooled electrical brain… Hmm. Does sound like marketing nonsense, but it also looks very cool and ultra-futuristic in this concept car. We wouldn’t expect that to make production, though. Nor will the very snazzy roof (we’d expect a full-length panoramic roof but without the funky electrical grid pattern), and of course the production car will be, well, a bit less fantastical. Sadly. 

But you will undoubtedly get the full Mercedes MBUX touchscreen infotainment system – possibly in a portrait screen as standard, rather like in the Mercedes EQE that will sit above the CLA in the Mercedes lineup. The full-length Hyperscreen that’s in the CLA Concept may be an option, but again – we’ll have to wait and see.

Obviously, the Mercedes CLA is a four-door coupe, or a swoopy saloon – however you want to dress it up, really. It’s got four doors and will have a useful boot, plus enough room in the back for the kids. More specific details than that will have to wait until the production car arrives in 2025. 

What about the battery, range and charging stuff on the 2025 electric Mercedes CLA, then?        

Well, as I mentioned, it’s going to get a range of up to 466 miles, but unfortunately we don’t know the specifics of what battery it’ll have. It will take some of the tech features that debuted on the Mercedes EQXX Concept, which was one of the most efficient electric cars ever created, and used a 100kWh for a range of 764 miles. We’ll have to wait and see what battery the CLA comes with. 

What we do know is that it’ll be the first Mercedes to get 800V rapid charging – like you get on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6 (both rivals to the Mercedes CLA). That means that the CLA will be able to charge at up to 250kW when you plug into a fast enough DC rapid charging station, which will be able to deliver some 250 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes. Nice! 

Unusually for Mercedes, the CLA will be offered as both a full battery-electric car and as a 48-volt petrol-electric hybrid. Merc normally keeps its electric car models separate to its petrol models, so this may signal a departure from that for a more BMW-like system where new models will be offered with a variety of powertrains.  

At the moment, we don’t even know for sure whether the hybrid Mercedes CLA will be a plug-in hybrid or a mild hybrid (we suspect mild hybrid but nobody’s confirmed anything yet), so watch this space for more info when we get it. 

Will the new Mercedes CLA be fast? 

Well, obviously it will be. It’s a Mercedes and a it’s got to rival the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, so it’s not going to be slow. We know that it’ll get a 235bhp electric motor, and it also gets a two-speed transmission. The only other electric car on sale with a two-speed transmission is the Porsche Taycan, and while it’s expensive technology it is good at improving efficiency on the motorway, so it’s another sign that efficiency is going to be a huge selling point for the next generation electric Mercedes CLA.  

We do also know that the modular platform that the CLA sits on is capable of taking four-wheel drive, and this new powertrain and chassis will underpin a shooting brake sporty estate and two SUVs. As with most aspects of the new CLA, nothing else is confirmed, but let’s face it – there’s just got to be a really fast, all-wheel drive electric CLA to take on the Tesla Model 3 Performance and BMW i4 M50. We all know it, Mercedes! 

What cool tech features does it have?

Well, one of the safety aspects that Mercedes is keen to tell you about with the new CLA, is its Child Presence Detection, which senses if you’ve left young children in the car by mistake in warm weather! Oh yes. It uses 20 sensors in the interior, and if it senses that there’s a child inside and the car is getting too warm, it’ll send messages to your phone, and give off a visual and acoustic warning (different to a normal car alarm) to alert passers by. At the same time, the car’s air-conditioning will also kick in to keep the car at a more sensible temperature, and if still nobody comes to get the kid out of the car, the CLA will even notify the Mercedes-Benz SOS helpline, which will alert the emergency services. I mean, it’s got to be a particularly terrible parenting moment to need all that, but if it saves just one life then it’s got to be a good thing.

When will it go on sale, and how much will it cost? 

You guessed it… We don’t really know, yet. Because everything around this concept and the CLA production car that will come from it is still deliberately shrouded in mystery and wonder. Safe to say that we’ll see the final production version of the Mercedes-Benz CLA in 2025, and sales will probably start late that year or early in 2026. 

As for pricing? Well the Tesla Model 3 starts at £40,000, so we’d expect the electric CLA to start at a similar price – maybe a few thousand more. Monthly finance will be critical, as Tesla will get you a Model 3 from £300 per month at the moment (although Tesla does change its prices and finance deals with every phase of the moon), so Mercedes needs to be really sharp on PCP finance costs if it’s going to steal customers back from Tesla.