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By Jonathan Crouch

The Mercedes CLA is a very different proposition in third generation form. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 41

Once a niche Mercedes compact model, the CLA has gone mainstream in this impressively advanced third generation form. It's still a streamlined small saloon (or estate), but now comes with a very efficient pair of propulsion options - full-Hybrid or full-EV.

Backgroundword count: 149

Welcome to a new kind of small Mercedes-Benz; this car, the third generation CLA. First launched back in 2013, with a second generation version following in 2019, the CLA model line has turned out to be both popular and profitable for the Stuttgart maker. Which perhaps was what prompted the brand to use this third generation version, announced in early 2025, as the launch pad for a whole new generation of electrified technology. Gone are the combustion petrol, diesel and PHEV units of the MK2 design. In their place, we've got an all-new 1.5-litre full-Hybrid; or a full-EV powertrain so efficient that from launch, it positioned the most frugal version of the CLA as Europe's longest-ranging and most efficient electric car. There's also one of the most slippery body shapes ever made in this segment. And the cabin that truly democratises luxury sector technology. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 367

There are plenty of headlines here. A self charging full-Hybrid engine at last in a compact Mercedes, mated to an equally new 8-speed eDCT auto gearbox. And the biggest headline of all, an EV version offering what at the time of this model's launch was the longest range from any European market electric car. Mercedes makes no apology for the fact that the Hybrid CLA had to fit very much into the design parameters of the EV; this petrol version's 1.5-litre engine was specifically created to fit into the same front-end space as the EV's front motor. This four cylinder unit seems uncompromised as a result though, assisted by a little 1.3kWh battery energised by a 27bhp electric motor. These work together to send either 134bhp or 161bhp through the front wheels or, in the top 4MATIC version, 188bhp to all four wheels. Diesel-like economy is promised. What Mercedes really wants to talk about though, is the EV model, in volume form clumsily named the 'CLA 250+ with EQ Technology'. There's nothing clumsy about the technology on offer here though, 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.

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