The now electric Mercedes-Benz CLA starts sales in Spain and reveals its prices

Mercedes-Benz surprised, or perhaps not, just a few months ago with the unveiling of the new CLA as a fully electric vehicle, although hybrid powertrains will be added to the range later. Under the same concept of a compact saloon with a coupé-style silhouette, the CLA featured a redesigned look and electric drive units, all accompanied by the latest technology for both its electrical system and its interior.

Let’s recall that the new Mercedes-Benz CLA features a new exterior design that starts with a reinterpretation of its grille with an illuminated panel, a grille that is obviously open on the hybrid CLA, framed in any case by a thin strip of LED light that also serves as a connecting link with the standard LED headlights. At the rear, the rounded lines of the bumper remain present but, just as at the front, the light unit has been redesigned, with a slightly different shape and a strip that crosses the entire tailgate to join the lights.

The interior of the Mercedes-Benz CLA follows today’s trend, so it’s no surprise that the dashboard is reduced to a minimum in terms of physical buttons and various elements, leaving all the prominence to the digital instrument cluster and, above all, the central screen, both of which can be complemented by a third screen in case that is not enough, from the MBUX Superscreen system. All this technological interior has an air of luxury thanks to the materials used by Mercedes-Benz for both the upholstery and the inserts, available in different materials and colours.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA comes with a fairly generous standard equipment list that can be complemented with two packs including design and technology upgrades. Even so, as standard equipment we find items such as the following:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Partially illuminated star
• Manual front tailgate
• Animated grille panel
• Glass panoramic roof
• Comfort suspension
• Digital instrument cluster with 10.25-inch screen
• 14-inch infotainment system
• Connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB digital radio
• Additional USB-C ports
• MBUX Live Traffic Information
• Route-based speed adaptation
• Multiple airbags
• Extended auto start for frequent start-stop driving
• Active speed limit assist
• Brake assist
• Evasive steering assist
• Parking assist
• Exit warning
• Blind Spot Assist Plus
• Reversing camera
• Distronic distance assist
• Traffic sign assist
• Automatic high beam
• Lane keeping function
• Emergency stop function
• Parktronic
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• Heat pump
• Charging cable for Wallbox and public charging station

Mechanically, as we already knew, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA will be available with the entry-level CLA 250+ with an electric motor on the rear axle delivering 200 kW (272 CV) and 335 Nm of torque; if you want more power you’ll have to go for the CLA 350 4Matic, which, thanks to an extra motor on the front axle, raises output to 260 kW (354 CV) and 515 Nm of torque distributed to all four wheels.

In both cases an 85 kWh lithium-ion battery is used, a battery with which the Mercedes-Benz CLA claims a maximum range of 790 kilometres in ideal conditions under the WLTP test cycle, while for the CLA 350 4Matic the maximum WLTP range is slightly lower, at 768 kilometres.

Either way, the price of the Mercedes-Benz CLA is no longer what it used to be; as you can imagine, it has gone up, and substantially so, because if you now want to get a CLA, and at least for now an electric one, you will have to pay from 44,995 euros excluding taxes.