- Excellent range
- Attractive pricing
- Awkward 400-volt charging issue
The CLA is a pivotal model for Mercedes as the brand takes its core line-up into the electric era. With a class-leading range, excellent driveability and keen pricing, the CLA is a highly-impressive package.
Overview
The new Mercedes-Benz CLA gives retailers a compelling proposition in the increasingly competitive electric car market. While many EVs now offer around 300 miles between charges, the most efficient CLA has an official range of up to 484 miles, helping to address one of the most common concerns raised by customers considering an electric vehicle.
Prices start at £39,150 for the CLA 200, considerably undercutting some established compact executive rivals. This combination of range, pricing and premium branding should make the CLA particularly attractive to both retail and fleet customers. It is stylish, refined, efficient and packed with technology, while the availability of an estate-bodied Shooting Brake broadens its appeal to buyers who require greater practicality.
There is, however, an important issue for retailers to explain. The CLA uses an advanced 800-volt electrical system that enables very rapid charging, but compatibility with more common 400-volt rapid chargers requires an £850 optional extra.
Most public rapid chargers in the UK still operate using 400-volt technology, meaning cars without the converter may be unable to use some charging locations. Rival 800-volt models from manufacturers including Audi, Hyundai and Porsche provide this compatibility as standard.
Mercedes argues that the CLA’s long range will reduce the frequency with which drivers need to charge away from home. Nevertheless, sales teams will need to understand a customer’s likely charging habits and recommend the optional kit where appropriate.
Pricing and Spec
The electric CLA range begins with the rear-wheel-drive CLA 200 Sport at £39,150. The CLA 250+, which delivers the longest range, starts at £43,250, while the more powerful, all-wheel-drive CLA 350 is priced from £51,800.
There are five trim levels: Sport, Sport Executive, AMG Line Executive, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus. Sport models provide a relatively affordable entry point, while Executive versions add more comfort and convenience equipment.
AMG Line derivatives introduce a more overtly sporting appearance, along with sports seats featuring integrated head restraints and microfibre-effect upholstery. Premium and Premium Plus models build on this with additional technology and luxury features.
Heated front seats are standard across the range, along with a mixture of fabric and artificial leather upholstery on entry-level cars. Standard equipment also includes adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
At the top of the range, buyers receive a 360-degree camera system and an intuitive automated parking function. The system displays the car’s surroundings on the central touchscreen and allows the driver to select a parking space by tapping the display.
A Shooting Brake estate version is also available for customers requiring additional passenger and luggage space. A higher-performance Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is expected to join the range, while mild-hybrid petrol versions provide an alternative for buyers not yet ready to switch fully to electric power.
The CLA 250+ Sport Executive, priced at £47,785, is arguably the strongest all-round choice, combining the longer-range battery with a useful level of equipment.
Technology
Mercedes has developed a new in-house operating system for the CLA, controlling both its infotainment functions and many of the vehicle’s onboard systems.
The primary interface is a 14-inch central touchscreen, which is paired with a separate digital instrument display. The presentation is modern and visually impressive, helping to reinforce the CLA’s premium positioning during showroom demonstrations.
The system provides access to navigation, media, telephone and vehicle settings through a series of configurable tiles displayed over the navigation map. Climate controls and commonly used shortcuts remain accessible through a permanent panel at the bottom of the screen.
The interface is generally easy to operate, despite the number of functions available. Online services include music streaming, connected navigation and an artificial intelligence-supported voice assistant. The system can even support video calls, although this is likely to be of greater relevance to business users than most private buyers.
A connected smartphone app provides additional remote functions, including the ability to pre-condition the cabin before a journey. This allows drivers to heat or cool the car while it is still connected to a charger, preserving battery range and making the vehicle more comfortable from the moment it is entered.
Efficiency is also supported by a two-speed transmission. The lower ratio helps the car accelerate strongly from a standstill, while the higher ratio allows the motor to operate more efficiently at motorway speeds. This technology plays an important role in delivering the CLA’s strong real-world efficiency and long-distance capability.
Safety
Mercedes has placed considerable emphasis on occupant and battery protection in the development of the CLA. Its body structure is designed to protect passengers while also safeguarding the high-voltage battery mounted beneath the cabin.
A comprehensive package of driver assistance technology is fitted as standard. This includes adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
The systems continually monitor the vehicle, surrounding traffic and driver behaviour in an effort to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. During testing, most of these functions operated without becoming overly intrusive.
There was, however, one occasion when the car incorrectly concluded that the driver was incapacitated and attempted to bring the vehicle to a controlled stop at the side of the road. While this appeared to be an isolated incident, retailers should be prepared to explain how the driver monitoring and emergency assistance functions operate.
AMG Line Premium Plus models benefit from a 360-degree camera and an effective self-parking function. This should be a useful showroom demonstration feature, particularly for customers who may feel apprehensive about manoeuvring the car in tighter spaces.
Night-time visibility is less convincing. On versions with ambient interior lighting, the illuminated air vents can reflect in the side windows close to the driver’s view of the exterior mirrors. The door mirrors themselves are also smaller than ideal, which can further restrict visibility in some conditions.
Driving experience
The CLA delivers the refinement expected of a Mercedes-Benz and should appeal strongly to customers who regularly cover long distances.
Its suspension is firm enough to control body movement but retains sufficient compliance to deal comfortably with uneven road surfaces. Across a variety of road types, the car remained composed and comfortable, without the brittle ride quality that can affect some electric vehicles.
Cabin refinement is another strength. Wind, tyre and motor noise are well suppressed, even at motorway speeds, making the CLA a quiet and relaxing car in which to travel.
The entry-level CLA 200 uses a rear-mounted 224PS electric motor and a 58kWh usable battery. It has an official range of up to 328 miles and achieved approximately 4.5 miles per kWh during steady motorway driving. In typical conditions, customers should be able to expect around 250 miles between charges.
The CLA 250+ combines a 272PS rear motor with a larger 85kWh battery. It is the range champion of the line-up, with an official figure approaching 480 miles.
During testing, it also achieved around 4.5mi/kWh, indicating that approximately 380 miles should be possible in normal real-world driving. On a winter journey to Scotland, the car averaged 4.0mi/kWh and completed 318 miles with around 20 miles of indicated range remaining.
The CLA 350 adds a second motor on the front axle, producing a combined 353PS and providing all-wheel drive. To preserve efficiency, the front motor can disconnect when it is not required. The car returned around 4.1mi/kWh during testing, which is impressive given its additional performance.
Acceleration is strong across the range. The CLA 350 covers 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, while the CLA 250+ requires 6.7 seconds. Even the entry-level CLA 200 completes the benchmark in 7.5 seconds, which should be more than adequate for most customers.
Using a suitable 800-volt rapid charger, both battery versions can be charged from 10% to 80% in approximately 20 minutes. All models also support AC charging at up to 11kW.
The potential limitation is access to 400-volt public chargers. Retailers should establish whether customers regularly undertake journeys requiring public rapid charging and ensure the optional 400v-compatible charging unit is discussed during the sales process.
Practicality
The CLA sits within Mercedes’ compact car family and has a smaller footprint than some other models in the executive EV segment. It consequently offers less interior space than a BMW i4 or Hyundai Ioniq 6, although it is likely to attract many of the same customers.
The cabin uses a minimalist design to make efficient use of the available space. A raised centre console creates a sporty feel and contains two cupholders and a wireless phone charging pad, with an additional storage area beneath.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive, with lumbar adjustment and heating included as standard. AMG Line models gain more heavily sculpted seats with integrated head restraints.
Rear-seat legroom is reasonable and the bench is wide enough to accommodate three occupants for shorter journeys. Headroom is more restricted because of the CLA’s sloping roofline, however, and taller passengers may feel confined.
Customers who regularly carry adults in the rear may be better served by the Shooting Brake. Its estate-style roof provides improved rear headroom as well as greater versatility.
The saloon has a 405-litre boot, although the opening is relatively shallow and may make loading larger items more difficult. A further 100 litres of storage is provided beneath the bonnet, offering useful space for charging cables or smaller bags.
Interior quality is broadly appropriate for the price, although some materials do not feel as substantial as customers may expect from a Mercedes-Benz. The air vents and column stalks are among the touchpoints that appear to have been designed with weight reduction in mind.
The overall cabin design, large digital displays and ambient lighting maintain a premium impression, however, and are likely to make a strong initial impact in the showroom.
