Mercedes gave the world a closer look at its new CLA by presenting a thinly disguised prototype at the Festival d’Hyères fashion and photography event in southern France over the weekend.
But will the new compact sedan make a fashion statement of its own in the premium car market?
The third-generation CLA ushers in a new and consolidated compact car family based around the new MMA architecture, which is an “electric first” platform that also accommodates internal combustion variants.
This new compact family will also include a CLA shooting brake (wagon) as well as two SUV models.
This means the A-Class won’t get a replacement, although the current version is reportedly set to remain on sale until at least 2026.
The CLA will lead the charge as the brand’s new entry-level model and in order to cater best to a transitioning market, it will reportedly be launched with both combustion and fully electric powertrains.
The latter versions will sport an 800V electric architecture that enables rapid charging, while battery choices will include lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) and lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC).
The hottest AMG version should be something of a firecracker with a power output in the region of 500 horsepower, or 373kW in metric speak, Autocar reports.
The new Mercedes CLA was previewed by a concept car of the same name that debuted in 2023.
The showcar also previewed the company’s new “MB.OS” cabin electronics and “MBUX” Superscreen that stretches across the dashboard in a horizontal line. The new “immersive” wide-screen design, first seen in the Concept CLA, features immersive 3D graphics, powered by the Unity Game Engine.
The new Mercedes CLA is expected to make its global debut in 2025.
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