2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA review
Mercedes is turning tradition on its head with its latest ‘baby’ offering and leaving its revered S-class in the shade.
Normally it’s the job of the flagship S-Class limo to usher in Benz’s latest and greatest tech.
Said gadgets, gizmos and techno wizardry then filter down slowly over the next few years to more affordable Mercedes models that more Australians buy.
But in the super-fast-paced world of EVs, the old tradition of democratising technology has been thrown out the window.
The change begins with new the Mercedes CLA.
Despite supposedly being the cheapest, most affordable sedan, it’s now the German car giant’s most advanced car yet.
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Breaking with tradition again, Benz has abandoned doing a dedicated EV version. Instead, the battery-electric and mild-hybrid both arrive in the same swoopy four-door body style, with rakish CLA Shooting Brake arriving later, along with the petrol-electric power.
Based on an advanced new MMA platform, the fresh underpinnings finally introduce Benz’s powerful 800-volt electrics that allow charging rate of more than 320kW – well beyond its current EQS limo and SUV.
If you can find a powerful 350kW DC charger, just ten minutes after plugging the new CLA in you will have added a remarkable 325km of range, with a 10-80 per cent top-up taking just 22 minutes, not that you’ll have to charge the small sedan much.
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Thanks to its streamlined body, special low rolling resistance tyres, brake-by-wire tech that can claw back as much as 200kW of energy and a new two-speed transmission for the rear motor the new CLA 250+ can cover an incredible 792km on a single charge. Not bad for a car with 200kW that can launch from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
Engineers say if you buy a CLA, you banish so-called range anxiety to the history books. All the more remarkable is the efficiency translates into the real world and even if you drive the baby Benz sedan without any concessions to how many electrons you’re burning through, it will still drive further than any other EV you care to mention.
As the power gauge dropped to 70 per cent, even with my lead-filled clogs, I still had more than 500km to cover – and the good thing about the CLA is it’s no chore to drive over long distances.
There’s zero sound from the powertrain, while road and tyre noise are almost non-existent, aside from some wind rush, it almost feels S-Class-like in the way it covers ground, although it misses out on a limo’s cushiony air springs.
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Behind the wheel it’s hard not to love the look and feel of the CLA cabin. We love the MBUX Superscreen that combines a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and up to two 14-inch touchscreens behind one expansive piece of glass. The open pore wood and metallic finishes also impress and could fool you into thinking you’re driving a bigger car.
Space, unfortunately, remains at a premium and despite being larger in every dimension headroom in the second row remains limited, while the rear boot is smaller than the old car’s – but luckily a 101L frunk saves the day.
While a decent cruiser, what the CLA isn’t is a sports sedan, even with the 260kW all-wheel drive CLA 350 4MATIC at your disposal, as it weighs 2135kg it’s simply too heavy and unwieldy.
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Set to rock up Down Under in the second half of 2026, the new CLA is expected to hover between $85,000-$90,000 for the very cheapest rear-drive version, which isn’t that affordable for a small sedan but even at half the money many Australians would probably still ignore the swoopy four-door.
Instead, we think most buyers will wait a little longer and be happier to pay more for the less efficient, worse-driving, heavier GLC because it will be a higher-riding SUV.
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