Mercedes-Benz has thrown down the gauntlet with the new Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025. An electric drive with two battery sizes – 58 kWh and 85 kWh –, acceleration from 6.7 to 4.9 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of around 210 km/h in the electric version, a hybrid with a 1.5-liter engine and a 48-volt system, and artificial intelligence that could overshadow even the best science fiction visions – they have squeezed all of this into a single model that is set to become the first star of a new family of vehicles on the MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) platform.
But as a car enthusiast and chronic skeptic, I wonder: is the strategy of mixing all these technologies – electric (EV) and internal combustion (ICE) – into one car really the right one? So what does it bring us? Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025. My thoughts!
Technological excess – or too much for one bite?
New ones Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025 is a technical marvel. The electric CLA 250+ with EQ Technology is powered by an 85 kWh battery (NMC chemistry) with a usable capacity that allows a range of up to 792 km according to WLTP, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with rear-wheel drive or 4.9 seconds with the 4MATIC version, and reaches a top speed of around 210 km/h. The smaller 58 kWh battery (LFP chemistry) will be a cheaper entry point, but with a lower range, probably around 500–550 km. Charging? Thanks to the 800-volt architecture, you can add 325 km of range in 10 minutes at a 320 kW DC charger, and AC charging supports up to 11 kW, with the option to upgrade to 22 kW later. There's also a 100-liter "frunk" under the hood for cables or luggage, which is practical.
Hybrid version Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025, coming towards the end of the year, will have a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with an output of between 140 and 190 hp, supported by a 48-volt mild hybrid system that enables electric driving up to 100 km/h at low loads (under 20 kW) and recuperation of up to 25 kW. Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) with Google and Microsoft integration and the fourth generation MBUX promise that this will be the smartest Mercedes ever – with a virtual assistant based on ChatGPT4o and Gemini, and the ability to recognize emotions.
But here's where I get stuck. If you cram all these options into one car—two batteries, electric, hybrid, acceleration ranging from moderate to brutal, and intelligence that surpasses many phones—don't you risk confusing buyers? Electric fanatics might look askance at hybrid compromises, while gasoline fans might wave their hands at all this digital circus.
One model for everyone – or for no one?
Mercedes-Benz is betting on modularity. The MMA platform allows the same car to be powered by either an 85 kWh electric drive with 200 kW (CLA 250+) or 260 kW (CLA 350 4MATIC), or a 1.5-liter engine with front-wheel drive. The vehicle is 4.7 meters long, slightly higher than its predecessor due to the battery pack that raises the floor. The idea is clear: one model for all needs, from city electricians to rural gas station attendants. But?!
But I’m not entirely sure that’s the right approach. The electric Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025, with a drag coefficient of 0.22 hp, better than the Tesla Model 3 (though slightly behind the EQS), promises exceptional efficiency – consumption of 14.1–12.2 kWh/100 km for the 250+ and 14.7–12.5 kWh/100 km for the 350 4MATIC is impressive on the highway. But a hybrid? The 1.5-liter engine can only do around 6.5–7 liters/100 km, which is solid but not revolutionary. If you want to please both camps, don’t you risk giving both half the experience? A dedicated electric platform might allow for longer range or lower weight (the battery and drivetrain weigh around 500 kg), while an ICE model with a larger 2.0-liter engine might be more appealing to purists.
Design: a mishmash that didn't convince me
The Mercedes-Benz CLA 2025 is visually… well, let's just say that it didn't completely captivate me. At first glance, the car's design is not revolutionary and I personally don't like it – I expected a much more studio-like, futuristic design, something that would really herald a new era. What they showed us as a study some time ago. In fact, at first glance, I would describe the CLA as just a slightly revamped old version – as if they took the existing model and added some modern tricks to it. The front now features an illuminated star-shaped panel with 142 LEDs (40 at the rear), which is closed in the electric version and open in the hybrid for cooling. The MULTIBEAM LED headlights (optional) and the star-shaped rear lights are connected by a light strip, which is a kind of trendy cliché – just blindly following fashion, which is not entirely successful.
I don't really like the rear optics of the lights; the graphics are quite similar to existing electric cars on the market and look a bit kitschy – even today (too many stars all over the car), let alone in a few years. Too many dots and no simple purity. The car is a kind of "Styrian" mishmash, kitschy and a bit baroque, which is typical of Mercedes when it tries too hard. The front grille that separates the grille from the headlights looks disjointed, as if they wanted to combine the old and the new too forcefully. The 17 to 19-inch wheels and the AMG Line package with a small spoiler and black details do add some charm, but the whole thing remains too safe, not bold enough. The interior with a panoramic roof and MBUX Superscreen (10-inch instruments, 14-inch central screen, optional 14-inch screen for the front passenger) is technically impressive, but in terms of design it is still caught up in Mercedes' recognizable, but not groundbreaking, aesthetic. At the same time, the dashboard looks quite van-like, at least in the photos. It's a bit too upright.
Technical details: what does it bring under the hood?
Električni CLA ima dvosmerni menjalnik na zadnji osi – prva prestava za pospeške in vleko (do 2 ton), druga za avtocesto in doseg. Baterija 85 kWh (680 Wh/l gostote) zmanjšuje kobalt in dviguje energijsko gostoto za 20 % v primerjavi s predhodniki, tehta pa okoli 450–500 kg. Toplotna črpalka izkorišča odpadno toploto pogona, baterije in zraka, kar zmanjša porabo za ogrevanje za tretjino. Hibrid stavi na učinkovitost z rekuperacijo in električnim križarjenjem, a 1,5-litrski motor zmore le skromnih 190 KM v najmočnejši izvedbi.
Space? The trunk has 405 liters (sedan), Shooting Brake bo večji. Čeprav je zanimivo, da se je temu Mercedes-Benz želel odreči pred časom. “Frunk” s 100 litri je priročen bonus. Zadaj je dovolj prostora za odrasle, a dvignjena tla zaradi baterije malce vplivajo na ergonomijo – kolena so višje, kot bi želel.
Risk or vision?
Mercedes-Benz is aiming for technological leadership with the CLA – and on paper it succeeds. The efficiency of the electric drive, fast charging, a reduced carbon footprint of 40 % and a design that turns heads at least in part are the trump cards. But the “all-in-one” strategy doesn’t entirely convince me. Squeezing EV and ICE into the same model makes sense in terms of costs – the platform costs billions to develop – but wouldn’t separate paths appeal better to buyers? The electric CLA could achieve even greater range or lower weight with a dedicated platform, while the ICE would have more power and soul.
The CLA is technically impressive, but in terms of design, it’s a disappointment for me – too safe, too kitschy, not enough visionary. Will its versatility be its strength or its weakness? Or even its Achilles’ heel. Time will tell if I was right to doubt this “all-in-one” approach. For now, I remain curious but skeptical – and I can’t wait to drive it to see if the numbers outweigh the design mishmash.
