New Mercedes CLA to take on BMW 3 Series and Tesla Model 3 with petrol and EV power

Efficiency will be a key focus with the all-new Mercedes CLA when it arrives in 2025, and the brand has revealed more details about the pure-electric powertrains and fuel-sipping mild-hybrid petrol engine it’ll offer.

The next-generation CLA will be the first model to use a brand-new platform called MMA (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture), which has been influenced by the Vision EQXX concept and is designed to be “electric first.” It’ll also serve as the underpinnings for three additional models in the very near future: two electric SUVs and a shooting brake estate.

However, Mercedes will also fit the CLA with a new, highly compact 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and mild-hybrid technology, in order to meet “the wishes and mobility needs of customers in different regions of the world”. 

Mercedes says it opted for a four-cylinder motor rather than a naturally more compact three-pot for the superior refinement, and also added more covers and foam to further reduce noise. 

To help make this new M252 engine as compact as possible, the cylinders are very close together, the exhaust manifold is tucked by the engine block in a one-box design – prepared for future emissions standards – and there’s a side-by-side arrangement for the hybrid system’s electric motor, an inverter and eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission (also new) in one highly integrated unit.

The turbocharged four-cylinder engine will be offered with three states of tune: 134bhp, 161bhp and 188bhp. Meanwhile the hybrid systems include a 27bhp e-motor integrated directly into the transmission, and it draws power from a 1.3kWh 48V battery located under the front seats. 

The e-motor allows for pure-electric driving at low speeds and zero-emissions coasting up to 62mph, plus Mercedes says this new hybrid set-up can recuperate up to 25kW of energy when slowing down, in any gear.

The electric CLA features an 800V electrical architecture for ultra-fast charging speeds of up to 320kW. At that pace, more than 180 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes. Meanwhile the 268bhp e-motor on the rear axle was developed by Mercedes, and gets a two-speed transmission, which benefits both performance and efficiency. 

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Mercedes has confirmed the EV version will be available with either a 58kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, or an 85kWh battery with silicon-oxide anodes that boosts energy density. The Tesla Model 3 rival can supposedly deliver battery-to-wheel energy efficiency as high as 93 per cent on long journeys, while the Concept CLA Class could achieve 5.18 miles per kilowatt-hour. If the road-going version is capable of the same feat, it could offer more than 440 miles of range from a single charge. 

Thanks to its unconfirmed but presumably long range, and charging capabilities, a prototype of the electric CLA managed to cover exactly 3,717 kilometres (2,310 miles) in 24 hours at the Nardò test circuit in southern Italy. The Porsche Taycan did the same test back in 2019, and covered 3,425 kilometres (2,128 miles).

Four-wheel-drive 4MATIC models get an additional 107bhp e-motor on the front axle, which is designed to act as a “boost” drive, meaning it’s only activated when more power or traction is required. It’s otherwise decoupled from the powertrain to reduce energy consumption as much as possible. 

Finally, pure-electric cars based on the MMA platform can recuperate up to 200kW when decelerating, and should offer full one-pedal driving, while every edition will come with a new multi-source heat pump as standard. This utilises energy saved from the drivetrain, the battery and ambient air.

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