From InsideEVs.
It walks like a CLA and talks like a CLA, but under the skin it’s more Silicon Valley than Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to launch an all-new, third generation of its small, streamlined sedan, the CLA. It will, for the first time, be available as a pure electric vehicle, which I got to drive in Denmark a few weeks ago, taking it from downtown Copenhagen out into the countryside on a very wide range of roads.
This is a hugely important electric model for Mercedes since it is its first 800-volt EV and its first software-defined vehicle (SDV), and it will serve as the entry point into its electric lineup. The fact that it’s the brand’s first SDV is a big deal since this is the next big step in the automotive industry, where China is significantly ahead of the West. SDVs are basically computers on wheels, vehicles whose code is more important than their mechanical components. This approach makes some very feature-rich Chinese cars uninspiring to drive, but that thankfully isn’t the case with the new CLA. It also looks better in the metal than it does in the photos and its interior feels premium to a level that the previous two generations can’t
match, while bringing excellent efficiency and range to the table.
It’s also the first in a new line of Mercedes EVs designed to look like the manufacturer’s
combustion cars. Mercedes didn’t find the success it had hoped for with its jellybean EQ models, which is why it’s now reverting to a more traditional design, and it’s also ditching the EQ nomenclature completely.
Its EVs are now sold under the “with EQ technology” moniker, and this applies to the CLA as well. I can almost picture the atmosphere of the board meeting where they decided this, as well as the fact that there will soon be another meeting to change it.
The New Mercedes CLA Is Actually Selling Great
https://www.motor1.com/news/764770/new-mercedes-cla-high-demand/
The Mercedes CLA EV Will Work With Tesla Superchargers After All
https://insideevs.com/news/759522/mercedes-cla-ev-400v-charging-supercharger-us/
The Mercedes-Benz CLA EV Can’t Use Most Fast Chargers In The U.S. (Updated)
https://insideevs.com/news/758859/mercedes-cla-ev-400v-charging-impossible/
The New Mercedes-Benz CLA Is Good, But Can It Be Great?
https://insideevs.com/features/753620/mercedes-cla-good-not-great/
2026 Mercedes CLA-Class: A 500-Mile EV Plus A Hybrid, Too
https://insideevs.com/news/753410/mercedes-cla-new-model-revealed/
How Mercedes’ Craziest Experiment Gave Us Its Most Important EV Yet
https://insideevs.com/news/744433/mercedes-cla-eqxx-technology/
Sign up for InsideEV’s Newsletter to get our content sent straight to your inbox:
https://www.insideEVs.com/newsletter/
00:00 – Introduction
01:09 – Mercedes CLA Acceleration
02:17 – Mercedes CLA Handling & Driving Impressions
02:54 – Mercedes CLA Steering Feel
04:29 – Mercedes CLA Driving Position
05:23 – Mercedes CLA Steering Wheel
05:54 – Mercedes CLA Brake Recuperation
07:01 – Mercedes CLA One-Pedal Driving
8:45 – Mercedes CLA Interior Space and Frunk
10:29 – Mercedes CLA Infotainment
11:20 – Mercedes CLA AI Voice Assistant
14:00 – Mercedes CLA Range
14:45 – Mercedes CLA Battery & Charging Speed
15:28 – Mercedes CLA Battery Preconditioning
Follow InsideEVs at:
https://www.instagram.com/insideevscom/
https://www.facebook.com/InsideeVs
https://x.com/insideEVs
https://www.insideEVs.com/newsletter/
