Mercedes-Benz Debuts All-Electric 2026 CLA With EQ Technology
Editor’s note: This story was updated March 19, 2025, with the latest DC fast-charging time for all CLA models, which is 22 minutes.
Competes with: BMW i4, Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3
Looks like: Its predecessor, but with a funny grille
Powertrain: 268-horsepower electric motor, rear-wheel drive; 349-hp dual electric motors, all-wheel drive; 85-kilowatt-hour battery; two-speed automatic transmission
Release date: Late 2025
As Hollywood has proven time and again with movies like “Dante’s Peak” and “Volcano” and “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact,” sometimes multiple people have the same great idea. This is the case with car manufacturers, too. In this age of transition from internal combustion to electric propulsion, Mercedes-Benz is doing the same thing with its all-new 2026 CLA that BMW did with its sedans: offering both gas-powered and all-electric versions of the compact sedan spun from the same platform.
Related: 2024 Mercedes-EQ EQS450+ Sedan Review: Not Quite an Electric S-Class
What Are the 2026 CLA’s Performance Specs?
When the 2026 CLA goes on sale later this year, buyers will have two choices, both of which are pure-electric vehicles; hybrids will go on sale later. Whereas previous Mercedes EVs have appended the model’s traditional class letter to the EQ prefix (such as the EQE and EQS), the electric CLA will take a page from the G-Wagen EV. The rear-wheel-drive CLA-Class EV is called the CLA250+ with EQ Technology, and the all-wheel-drive option is the CLA350 4Matic with EQ Technology.
The CLA250+ has a 268-horsepower electric motor with 247 pounds-feet of torque driving the rear wheels. The 350 adds a motor powering the front axle, giving it AWD and total output of 349 hp and 380 pounds-feet. Both also feature a two-speed transmission, which is relatively unusual for an EV powertrain, to better balance performance and efficiency. Mercedes claims the CLA250+ with EQ Technology will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds, and the 350 4Matic will do it in just 4.8. EPA-rated range estimates for the new EVs have not been finalized.
Mercedes says the CLA’s 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack is 20% more energy dense than its previous packs. The sedan’s 800-volt electrical architecture can handle up to 320 kilowatts at a DC fast charger, allowing the CLA250+ and 350 4Matic to charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 22 minutes.
What Does the 2026 CLA Look Like?
For all the radical change under the skin, the 2026 CLA doesn’t look all that different from its predecessor; the compact, single-swoop styling is immediately recognizable. Length, width and height all grow by about an inch over the outgoing CLA. The new car’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer, which typically means more legroom, but while front-seat occupants enjoy a little extra space, the backseat goes from tight in the previous generation to even tighter in the new car.
Cargo volume grows meaningfully, however, with the trunk increasing to 14.3 cubic feet and another 2.5 cubic feet in the frunk, per Mercedes’ measurements. In a totally oddball comparison, Mercedes notes the CLA’s frunk is larger than that of its first vehicle with a forward luggage compartment, the W23, also known as the 130. If you’re having a hard time remembering that one, it’s because the automaker stopped building it about 90 years ago.
Helping onlookers distinguish the new CLA is a fresh front-end treatment that studs the nose of the car with 142 individual LEDs in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz star. Chrome star-shaped design elements are also featured in the standard LED headlights and taillights, which are connected by full-width light bars. An optional lighting upgrade adds star-shaped LED daytime running lights. When the hybrid arrives, it will wear a regular chrome grille with an illuminated surround.
The CLA’s shape is exceptionally aerodynamic, and Mercedes notes a drag coefficient of just 0.21. Beyond the gentle sweep of the roofline, that figure is helped by minimizing gaps in the forward bodywork and partially sealing them where possible, as well as adding full aero covers for the wheels. The CLA’s underbody is almost completely enclosed, with even the steering and suspension components tucked out of the wind behind smooth paneling. A heat pump manages cabin temperatures more efficiently than traditional climate control hardware.
What Are the 2026 CLA’s Interior and Tech Features?
In addition to luxury touches like a standard panoramic moonroof, synthetic leather upholstery and heated front seats, the new CLA with EQ Technology will be available with a new paper-based interior trim Mercedes calls Natural Fiber Zen, which is made from cellulose and hemp fibers.
The 2026 CLA also debuts Mercedes’ fourth-generation MBUX infotainment system. This new operating system integrates artificial intelligence from Microsoft and Google to enable extensive voice control over vehicle and navigation functions, but it retains Mercedes’ existing user interface to flatten the learning curve.
The brand’s Superscreen will be available, combining a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 14-inch central touchscreen and 14-inch front-passenger display beneath a single piece of glass. Users will be able to move apps and group them into folders just like they do with their smartphones, and the tech also enables a 3D navigation display showing real-time wheeled and foot traffic around the car. That display, along with the CLA’s safety tech, is fed by a suite of inputs including eight cameras, five radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors. More details will be available closer to the start of sales, but Mercedes promises automated parking and automatic lane changes will be available.
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What Is the 2026 CLA’s Release Date and Pricing?
The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ with EQ Technology and CLA350 4Matic with EQ Technology are expected to go on sale toward the end of 2025. Pricing will be revealed closer to the start of sales.
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