Battery sizes: 85 kWh
E-Rating™: A+
Max charge rate: 320kW
WLTP range: 484 miles
Introduction and model history - 2026 Mercedes CLA
Mercedes-Benz is revolutionising its compact 'coupe-like saloon' - the CLA - by offering it in fully electric guise for the first time. Set to take on rivals like the Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3, BMW I4 and BYD Seal, the new, electric Mercedes CLA isn’t holding back on the specification.
Base versions of the electric Merc CLA, which we will get first in the UK, will feature rear-wheel drive and one motor, with a 85kWh battery. Later models are set to get a smaller 58kWh battery, with higher spec models gaining a 4Matic four-wheel drive with a decoupling front motor. A two-speed gearbox, 800 Volt technology, intelligent brake regeneration, a multi-source heat pump and up to 320kW DC charging power is technology derived from Mercedes-Benz’s record-breaking Vision EQXX concept car.
Range, battery and charging
This CLA 250+ with EQ Technology has an 85 kWh battery feeding a 272 hp electric motor on the back wheels. In the CLA it’s all about efficiency. As a result, the Merc has an official consumption figure of 5.7 miles per kWh – that’s better than most small electric hatchbacks. It means the Sport Edition version of the CLA has a range of 484 miles. That’s enough for more than three weeks of driving for the average Brit.
These figures will inevitably shrink in the real world, especially if you opt for bigger wheels. But we saw 4.8 miles per kWh on mixed roads in mild conditions, which is good enough for more than 400 miles of range. And even during our wintery test drive in the UK we found that it was really efficient - especially on the motorway where it lopes along, still returning some 320- to 350 miles of range.
If you do get half way up the country and want to charge, the Merc can accept up to 320 kW, which means you can boost the range by over 200 miles of range in just 10 minutes. Compared to the obvious rivals, that’s a big deal. The BMW i4 has a 174 miles less range, and even a long range Tesla Model 3 will conk out 48 miles before the Benz. Neither of them can charge as fast either.
From launch, the Mercedes did have one problem - it could only charge at 800V rapid points, and not the 400V units which make up a large number of rapid chargers in the UK (unless you used the converter that they provided, which is all a bit annoying). Mercedes did tell us that this was only going to be a problem for a few months from its launch at the end of 2025, and the CLA has now been out not for a short while, so if you're buying one right now - from stock or to your own spec - make sure to ask whether it will have this issue or not. We'd say it's worth waiting to make sure that you get a car that will charge at any public rapid charger.
Practicality and boot space
Despite being a slinky, four-door coupe-saloon kinda thing, the CLA gets a useful 405-litres of boot space, which is more than you get in the ID.3, for instance, but isn't quite as big as the boot in the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3. There’s a shooting brake style estate and an SUV version coming if you need a bit more space, too (that'd definitely be my CLA of choice).
As for the space inside? Again, think decent accommodation that'll take four normally-proportioned adults - but only just. That swoopy roof line hurts the headroom and I couldn’t recommend it for anyone taller than my 5 foot 8. Or anyone shorter with big hair. The door aperture into the rear seats is quite small, too, so actually getting in - or leaning in to deal with child seats - can be a bit awkward.
Watch out if you have big feet too. Even my size nines are a tight squeeze in the footwell, especially as there is nowhere to put them under the seat in front. Best to keep it for kids and make your tall mates take an Uber.
At least there's loads of space up front, where it's really comfortable even for a tall driver. I'm hoping that the CLA Shooting Brake will get slightly better rear passenger space and access, too, but we'll have to wait and see.
Interior, design/styling and technology
The interior of the 2026 Mercedes CLA is one of the really interesting things. You can really personalise the interior (which you certainly can't do with a Tesla or any other current executive car). There's about eight different seat finishes, and you can even choose from lots of different centre console finishes; there's a paper version with 'zen garden style' finish, or a wood finish, or pin stripes, or the aluminium finish of the car in our pictures is really lovely, too, if a bit more conventional.
And the screens? It's not three screens, it's the 'MBUX superscreen'. To the rest of us, that means that there are three massive screens, plus optional head-up display. The two central screens are your main focus, and they've got built-in ChatGPT, it'll do intelligent route planning factoring in charging times, and it is all really clever. Mind you, that voice control... Well, check out the video to see how responsive it was!
Plus, there's games, movie streaming, games console connectivity and more - as well as the usual wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's got everything you could ever think of wanting in your car. The fact that the interface is so much like a mobile phone is also good, as it is easy to use (and very configurable). Clever, eh?!
There are some irritations though - like Mercedes decided to copy the much-hated haptic buttons and switched windows from Volkswagen to save costs.
Motors, performance and handling
The CLA 250+ with EQ Technology gets a 272 hp electric motor on the back wheels, which is good for delivering a punchy 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds. But the clever bit is that it also has a gearbox. Electric motors are usually so efficient that they don’t need one, as they are flexible enough to have instant power as you move off and still be spinning efficiently at motorway speeds. But the Mercedes hails from a country where they like to go really fast on the autobahns, so they’ve added another gear so the motor to make it more efficient.
I know the Porsche Taycan has had the same for a few years, but that was mainly for the performance. In the CLA it’s more about efficiency. You don’t have to change gears yourself of course, although that could be fun. The car decides when to swap the cog.
And it is just lovely to drive. My only niggle is that the throttle response can be a bit sharp in some of the drive modes, but I really like it CLA in Eco mode, which smoothes out that response and makes it even more efficient - yet still pretty rapid when you want it to be. More than that, the steering has got a lovely weight and oily progression to it, and the ride comfort is very good. On bigger wheels it can feel a touch firm, but the damping is good enough to take the sting out of even the UK's coarse and broken roads. It feels very controlled, very precise and very serene.
While the others in this class are certainly great to drive, I'd say that the CLA is the best of the lot.
There's also a dual-motor CLA 350+ version arriving soon, which I drove briefly out in Denmark on a European Car of the Year test drive, and it's just lovely to drive. Seriously rapid, surprisingly fun but also very confident. I'd also expect a smaller battery, entry-level version of the CLA to join the range soon.
Running costs and pricing
The CLA 250+ with EQ Technology Sport Edition starts from under £46,000, and it's surprisingly well equipped. Standard kit includes that lovely pano roof, leatherette upholstery, parking camera and more – although the AMG Line, with its snazzier white-and-black interior, keyless entry and AMG alloys will likely be the more popular trim at just under £50,000. You can also step up to the top-spec car with its backlit grille and sportier styling, but I'd say that prices get a bit punchy at that sort of level.
Whichever model of the CLA you look at, pricing is very competitive, even next to alternatives like the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and BYD Seal - while the BMW i4 looks really pricey next to the new Merc!
Verdict
The electric Mercedes CLA is the start of a new era of EV for Mercedes-Benz, and it looks to be a very good era indeed. I love that Mercedes has focussed on efficiency here, rather than simply squeezing in more battery for a bigger range, and that's shown in the real-world range as well as the claimed range. Not only that, but the CLA is just lovely to drive, even on our rubbish UK roads. The problem is that the rear passenger space is a bit disappointing, and I don't love all the plastics that you get around the dash.
Even so, the CLA is innovative, efficiency-enhancing technology. And that styling? Blimey, it's lovely, and really does feel like a much more premium prospect even than a Polestar 2 - never mind a Tesla Model 3. There are others in this class that cost less on monthly finance, and that have much better passenger space and more usable infotainment. But even so, the CLA is one of the best electric executive cars you can buy.
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