Mercedes Reveals New CLA – and it Promises to Be a Game Changer

Mercedes-Benz has offered up the first look at its next-generation CLA. And while the design of the little sedan is intriguing in itself, its what we’ll find underneath the skin that delivers the real surprise. Set to arrive in both all-electric and hybrid form, the next-generation CLA will deliver potentially groundbreaking technology, including new “axial flux” electric motors in the AMG package.

When Mercedes-Benz rolled out the EQ family of battery-electric vehicles a few years back, it started all the way at the top, with the EQS model serving as the EV alternative to the familiar S-Class flagship. With the launch of the third-generation CLA, however, the German automaker is making waves by starting at the bottom of its line-up.

This first look at the next-gen CLA reveals some distinctive new styling, including a new  grille illuminated by 142 LED stars, a nod to the automaker’s tri-star logo. While the design of the new sedan –both inside and out — will clearly attract some attention, there’s a lot more worth paying attention to.

The 2026 Mercedes CLA will be offered in both all-electric and hybrid form. The EV package, the automaker revealed, will deliver what it claims will be the longest range of any battery model in Europe, at 492 miles per charge. It should deliver markedly faster charging speeds, as well. And, in AMG trim, the new CLA will introduce axial flux motors, a technology that is said to be lighter, smaller and more powerful than the motors currently found in most battery-electric vehicles.

Whats new

The new model is Mercedes’ third generation CLA and brings a ground-up redesign. Pretty much everything under the skin is new, as well.

Buyers will have a variety of different configurations to choose from and, for the first time, will have the option of going with either hybrid or all-electric powertrains. There’ll be a first-time AMG package introducing radial flux motor technology developed by a British company it acquired in 2021.

Much like the new BMW Neue Klasse family set to debut next year in production form, the new CLA will use a centralized supercomputing system — rather than a loosely linked network of microprocessors – dubbed the Mercedes Intelligent Cloud.

The system will, among other things, power a “Superscreen” which, much like the Hyperscreen found in EQS and S-Class models, extend the entire way across the instrument panel.

Benchmark range

What could be the real draw for the new CLA, at least the all-electric version, is the range it will offer.

There will be several different battery options, but with an 85-kWh pack, the improved efficiency of the CLA is said to allow it to travel as much as 429 miles per charge. In Europe, that would become the longest-range product on the market. That works out to more than 5 miles per kilowatt-hour, more efficient than the best Tesla model and closer to what Lucid achieves with its Gravity sedan.

Those figures are based on the global WLTP standard, however. A U.S. version would likely lose as much as 20% of its range using the tougher EPA test cycle. Even so, coming in at around 400 miles per charge would put it in a rarified atmosphere.

Another plus: the new CLA will feature V2H, or vehicle-to-home, capability, allowing it to provide power from the pack to keep a home energized during a power outage. That should also let it deliver current at a camp site, for example, or a work site.

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How it gets there

To get there, Mercedes has taken a number of steps, starting with an extremely slippery body design that minimizes wind drag.

It also notes the gen-3 CLA adopts new, more efficient battery chemistry and gets an 800-volt electrical architecture. Mercedes claims it also relied on some of its learnings from its F1 program helping to improve energy efficiency. That includes better brake regeneration, able to recapture more of the kinetic energy lost during braking and coasting, returning it to the battery for better range.

Among other things, this allows it to draw as much as 320 kW of juice from the latest public DC chargers. The CLA 250+ package, the automaker says, will be able to add more than 200 miles of range – again using the WLTP standard – in just 10 minutes. That would bring charging times down to little more than what it takes to fill up the hybrid version’s fuel tank.

As for performance, look for the CLA 250+ to hit 60 in about 6.6 seconds, the CLA 350 4Matic cutting that to around 4.8 seconds, while range for the more powerful package will still be a solid 470 miles using WLTP testing.

More on the powertrain options

The HEV version will pair a 1.5-liter gas engine with electric motors drawing power from a small lithium-ion battery pack.

As for the AMG package, we’ll have to wait for full details but the CLA will mark the first application from Mercedes to use new axial flux motors, a distinctly different approach from the radial flux technology the auto industry has, until now, relied on.

The technology was initial developed by the small British start-up Yasa, which the German automaker purchased in 2021. Citing Chief Technology Officer Markus Schaefer, Britain’s Autocar said the new motors should deliver more than 500 horsepower once the AMG package debuts in 2027.

Design

The new CLA will be based on Mercedes’ flexible MMA architecture which will underpin a variety of smaller vehicle lines, including the next GLA and GLB crossovers. CLA itself will be offered in several body styles, including a wagon – though that variant isn’t expected to come to the U.S.

As earlier noted, the overall design is more efficient than before from an aerodynamic perspective. The new sealed grille on the EV packages should be a real standout at night, what with those 142 LED stars.

Inside, the instrument panel will be offered with the new Superscreen display. It runs pillar-to-pillar but, under the glass are as many as three different displays: a 10.25-inch gauge cluster, a 14-inch center touchscreen, and a 14-inch display for the front passenger.

Timing

Expect to see a formal roll-out of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA later this year as a 2026 model.

Timing of the AMG version has yet to be announced but it is widely expected to show up in 2027.