We know, not all of us get that excited when a new electric car gets revealed. Normally though, that’s some kind of cookie cutter SUV weighing three moons and using a 1 million kWh battery to get six miles (we may have taken some creative liberty here).
So when a manufacturer does something a bit sensible and a bit clever with electric tech, we’ll take note. Meet, then, the new Mercedes CLA.
According to the official means of WLTP testing, Mercedes says the saloon will be able to crack 492 miles between having to charge it, provided you go for a 250+ and don’t drive exclusively on the motorway.
2025 Mercedes CLA, front
Unless someone else one-ups Mercedes between now and the CLA 250+ arriving on the UK market later in the year, that’ll be the highest range figure of any electric car on sale in the country. Not something we’d expect for a relatively small car.
That’s predominantly down to a new nickel manganese cobalt (or NMC, as journalists will forever refer to it with no context in future reviews) battery. The 85kWh pack, Mercedes says, is more energy dense than conventional packs and also reduces emissions from its production by about 30 per cent. 320kW charging capabilities should add a touch over 200 miles in 10 minutes, too.
There’s also a two-speed gearbox on the CLA to help efficiency, similar to that seen on the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. The first gear is designed for low-speed and towing use, while the second kicks in to improve efficiency at motorway speeds.
2025 Mercedes CLA, rear
Go for the 250+, and you’ll have 268bhp and 247lb ft on tap, allowing the CLA to crack 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds.
Not bad, but if you want more, there’s the dual-motor 350 with 256bhp and 380lb ft of torque. Mercedes says that’ll do 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, although will see total range drop to 479 miles.
Good news if you really want a new Mercedes CLA but don’t want an electric one, though. A hybrid version is set to arrive later with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder linked up to a tiny 1.3kWh battery pack. It’ll also look practically identical to the EV, according to Mercedes.
2025 Mercedes CLA, interior
That means no matter your choice of powertrain, you’ll have 142 LED stars in a grille to flex on everyone passing you by. Why 142 specifically? We don’t know why, we just know that’s what it is.
Inside, the new Mercedes CLA is the first car to get the manufacturer’s new MBUX infotainment system with *sighs at notes* AI integration. This’ll work across a 14-inch central screen and 10.25-inch driver’s display.
Expect to hear more on UK pricing and specs ahead of its arrival later in 2025.
