Background
It seems like it's taken the motor industry an age to deliver a compact electric car with a similar driving range to a combustion-powered one, but at last it seems to be happening. That at least is what seems to be suggested by the subject of this review, the Mercedes CLA 250+ with EQ Technology. This car is saddled with a clumsy naming convention but the engineering behind it is anything but. With the result that Mercedes is claiming to have topped the magic 5.0mpkWh efficiency figure with this car.
Let's translate that into real world terms for you; a predicted range of up to 492 miles between charges. That's just one of the things that marks out this very different third generation CLA, a model line that never previously offered an EV option. It never previously offered a self charging Hybrid either; that's the alternative to this EV. But Mercedes hopes you will want a full-electric CLA - and here's why.
Driving Experience
The technology on offer with the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology model is based around an 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery said to be capable of taking the car up to 492 miles between charges. Lots of clever engineering lies behind that attention-grabbing stat, a 268bhp front-mounted motor working with a Porsche Taycan-like two-speed gearbox, rather than the usual single-speed EV transmission. The idea is that this provides a short first ratio for quick launches and extra efficiency at town speeds; and a much longer second ratio to improve consumption at a cruise. 0-62mph takes 6.7s on the way to 130mph.
As you'd expect, the brand also offers a twin motor EV model, the 'CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology'. This gets an extra 107bhp motor with a single-speed gearbox on its front axle, giving a combined output of 349bhp, which cuts the 0-62mph sprint time to just 4.9s. Range remains impressive at 478 miles. For the future, there'll be an entry-level 58kWh CLA EV with a lower price but less advanced LFP lithium-ion-phosphate cells and a shorter range (expect about 300 miles). And a flagship Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ EV with a pair of Yasa-developed axial flux motors developing over 500bhp.
Design and Build
Prior to this MK3 CLA model's introduction, Mercedes had always created entirely bespoke EV designs to sit alongside their combustion counterparts. But that policy changed with this third generation CLA, which apart from front grille and badging differences, looks near-identical in either EV or Hybrid forms. Previous generation CLAs championed futuristic styling over generally mundane mechanicals. Here, if anything, it's the other way round. The sleek design is smart but unremarkable and, as previously, can be had either as a four-door coupe (read 'small saloon') or in 'Shooting Brake' form (reads 'small estate').
Previous models were cramped and claustrophobic in the back, so Mercedes has made this MK3 35mm longer, 25mm wider and 29mm taller than its predecessor; and added a standard-fit panoramic glass roof. There are some nice detail touches - like the three-pointed stars in the headlights and tail lamps. And this EV version's front grille is illuminated with a 142 individual LEDs. The silhouette is super-slippery, its drag coefficient an impressive 0.21Cd.
Inside at the wheel, you're faced with a huge full-width panel that incorporates a 10.25-inch driver instrument cluster and a 14-inch central infotainment display. In this panel's full (optional) 'Superscreen' form, there's a further 14-inch passenger-side display on which your fellow traveller can watch films, go online or set navigation destinations. With the standard set-up, this passenger screen is replaced by a glass panel with LED back-lit star logos which match the ambient lighting. Media connectivity is of course cutting-edge; there's the brand's very latest MB.OS software, with Virtual Assistant voice control using generative AI and Google Maps built-in.
What else? Quality has taken a step up and the style of the seats and steering wheel champion a sporty vibe, particularly if you select one of the more exuberant cabin colour choices. That bigger body (with its 2,790mm-long wheelbase) will noticeably improve rear seat space. But disappointingly, boot capacity has fallen substantially - from 462 to 405-litres. Though in this EV version, that won't matter so much because you'll also have a 101-litre under-bonnet 'frunk', the first Mercedes has ever offered.
Market and Model
Expect CLA pricing this time round to sit in the £40,000-£55,000 bracket. The big news here is that in a push for parity, Mercedes is trying to price this EV CLA on a par with the Hybrid version. This is apparently thanks to cost savings of around 30% in battery production, bringing the EV's overall price down by around 15%. As usual with Mercedes sporty models, expect a choice of various kinds of 'AMG Line' trim.
There's an awful lot of new technology included here. Take MBUX Surround Navigation for instance, which the brand describes as a feature that 'seamlessly integrates the driver assistance view with a 3D representation of the surroundings and route guidance in real time on the driver display'. Then there's the Virtual Assistant with its generative AI system, which uses ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing for internet searches for the questions you might ask it.
Drive assist tech has also taken a step forward. All CLAs come with the brand's DISTRONIC Distance Assist and there's the option of the company's latest 'MB.DRIVE ASSIST' system. This complements Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Steering Assist, making it a state-of-the-art Level 2 driving assistance system. New in the CLA is Lane Change Assist, which facilitates lane changes with a simple click of the indicator lever. Standard safety features include active brake assist, lane keeping assist, speed limit warning, attention assist and a reversing camera.
Cost of Ownership
Proof that this CLA in EV form takes frugality onto the next level is delivered by a claimed efficiency figure for the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology model that manages to better 5.0mpkWh. Mercedes says that three keys to achieving that impressive stat include the slippery drag coefficient (0.21Cd), the advanced two-speed gearbox and a clever rear-mounted permanent magnet motor. The latter uses a new silicon carbide inverter that develops greater output from a smaller package, reducing weight. And the engineers claim its torque density's boosted by the magnets being inserted in an innovative double-V formation, concentrating their field.
There's also a powerful regen braking system that can provide up to 200kW of stopping power off-throttle, helping to keep the battery topped up. And the 4MATIC EV model retains impressive range because its additional front motor is decoupled from the front axle when it isn't needed, reducing energy losses to friction by 90%. The carbon footprint of the new all-electric CLA is reduced by 40 percent over the entire value chain compared to its non-electrified predecessor.
At the right public charging station, this third generation CLA can be DC rapid-charged at up to 320kW thanks to its adoption of an 800V electrical architecture. This enables 201 mile top up in just 10 minutes.