2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Rear-wheel drive (RWD) CLA 250+ or all-wheel drive (AWD) CLA 350 4Matic models are available at launch. Our 250+ tester came in the new Sky Blue Metallic paint color, with brushed aluminum trim. You can also choose open pore wood or a new trim made with cellulose and hemp fibers, if that’s your thing. The new Liquid Crystal Green is also a stunning color.

If the standard Mercedes badging isn’t enough for you, Mercedes offers the three-pointed star in both the taillight- and headlight-illumination designs. The star functions as a reflector with the standard LED headlights, but trade up to the intelligent LED system and the logo functions as a daytime running light. It’s a feature that borders on the obnoxious, but for those who really, really love their Benz, it’s a fun way to stand out.

You’ll find that the CLA grew a smidge in all directions. It’s 1.6 inches longer overall, with a longer wheelbase and a wider stance to boot. The styling has more of an edge to it now, eschewing the egg shape of older all-electric models. There is nary a hard angle in sight, but it at least has some dimension to it. The four-door fastback style—Mercedes calls it a coupe—has a sophisticated vibe to it and a new illuminated grille has various animations to delight when getting in and out of the car.

Inside you’ll find a few carryover designs like the round HVAC vents and emphasis on screens. The Mercedes-Benz seat adjuster levers on the door have been redesigned, as have the window switches. Unfortunately, Mercedes has eliminated driver’s side window switches for the rear seats. There are only two switches and a toggle for control of the front or rear windows. Yes, it saves space on the arm rest, and you’re less likely to accidentally roll down the rear windows when you are trying to just get some air in the front, but it’s a cheap move on Mercedes’ part.

While the dual electric motors in the CLA 350 4Matic push out 349 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, our tester was the single-motor 250+, good for 268 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. Both have an 85-kWh battery that pushes the curb weight of both models north of 4,500 pounds. As such, don’t expect blistering zero to sixty times. Our test takes over 6.6 seconds to reach that mark, according to Mercedes. The 350+ fares better at 4.8 seconds.

But really, who cares about uber-quick acceleration when this thing is just so pleasant to drive? The steel-sprung suspension might not be adjustable when cycling through drive modes, but it always delivers a comfortable and confident ride. A two-speed transmission helps balance low-speed acceleration with efficiency during highway driving. While a slight shudder can be felt when the car changes gears, it’s mostly smooth and quiet sailing down the road.

Official EPA ratings weren’t available at the time of publication, but the single-motor CLA is rated at 492 miles on the more-lenient WLTP cycle. The AWD CLA 350 4Matic hadn’t been tested in Europe either when we embarked on this first drive, but is likely to have less range. We expect lower numbers for both models on the EPA cycle, but the CLA may still get close to 400 miles. Plus, Mercedes cars often perform better in the real world than they do in EPA testing.

When it comes to charging, the CLA’s 800-volt system translates to super-quick DC fast charging. Its maximum 320 kW is quick enough to get over 200 miles of range—again on the WLTP cycle—in just 10 minutes and Mercedes says the car can go from a 10-percent to 80-percent state of charge in 22 minutes. The CLA uses a NACS port for fast charging, while a Type 1 J1772 plug takes care of home charging, at 9.6 kW.

Of course, there is also regenerative braking—our favorite way to get some free electrons. The CLA has four different levels of regen and the most aggressive can stuff electrons back in the battery at a rate of 200 kW as it slows the car to a full stop. Of course, you’re not seeing 200 kW for any sustained amount of time, but every little bit helps if you find yourself in a charging desert with a low state of charge.

The CLA comes standard with all the features you’d expect in a Mercedes-Benz. Heated power front seats, a full panoramic glass roof, automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power heated side mirrors and even a selfie camera. However, you’ll have to pony up a bit extra for wireless charging, ambient lighting and an upgraded audio system (specifically a 16-speaker Burmester system with Dolby Atmos).

The CLA has a roomy 2.5-cubic-foot frunk—the first in a Mercedes since the 130 model way back in the 1930s. It’s large enough for a backpack or two, or a few bags of groceries. The rear trunk is not quite as large as offerings from Tesla or BMW, but it’s plenty roomy at 14.3 cubic feet.

Mercedes nixed the capacitive touchpads on the steering wheel that control the screens, opting instead for just one touch point controlling the configurable gauge cluster. The mute button is also a separate function, whereas before it was incorporated into the volume slider on the steering wheel. These may be little changes, but it makes the steering wheel a bit less confusing to operate.

The CLA also ensures easy battery pre-conditioning with a standard air-to-air heat pump. This pump can take heat from the electric drivetrain, the battery and the ambient air to bring the battery up to the perfect temperature for DC fast charging. Cars without this kind of pump often pull energy from the battery itself to pre-condition and reduce interior temperature when charging. This unique pump should allow for more efficiency and a toasty cabin while fast charging in colder climes.

Mercedes already had a streamlined public-charging interface with the Charge feature in the Mercedes Me app. Now called MB.CHARGE Public, drivers can reserve a spot at select Mercedes-Benz charging stations throughout the United States. As long as you’re using the native navigation system, the CLA will automatically reserve a spot 15 minutes before reaching the charging station. If you don’t show up within 15 minutes, the reservation is released. Because MB.CHARGE Public is connected to your specific car, if another car tries to swoop in and use your spot, the charger won’t work.

Finally, drivers can chat with the virtual assistant using artificial intelligence. The voice assistant goes beyond just turning on heated seats or answering basic questions about the weather. The CLA can scour the internet and provide you with any information you might need, whether its suggestions for a date-night restaurant or the title of that movie with Kevin Bacon and Reba McEntire about the desert worms (it’s Tremors, if you don’t remember).

If technology is what you want, technology is what you’ll get in the new CLA. It starts with a whole new operating system that allows over-the-air (OTA) updates not just for simple features, but also for driver-assistance systems. Your Benz will never be out of date.

Inside is a 10.25-inch driver display and a 14-inch center display running the fourth generation of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system, with the new MB.OS operating system. This robust technology features everything you could possibly want and then some including navigation that can plan for charging stops. The screen will even display a 3D representation of where the car is—information you can also get by looking out the windshield. The augmented-reality navigation, however, is worth the extra coin. It displays turn arrows and address numbers over a video feed from the front camera, and is very useful when driving in unfamiliar locations. Or you can use the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, if you prefer a smartphone-based interface.

If you really want to impress your friends, spring for the MBUX Superscreen. This tacks on a 14-inch screen for the passenger that includes a web browser, streaming apps, games and the like. What’s curious is that Mercedes did not include a privacy shade for the screen to ensure that the driver can’t see it. Instead the screen will turn off if the selfie camera detects the driver’s eyes are looking at it. This is incredibly annoying as the passenger as your experience depends on the driver’s behavior.

If you value the sophisticated look of the cabin, go for the Superscreen. In cars without the passenger screen, it’s replaced by a piece of cheap-looking trim. Sure, it has a Mercedes star pattern on it and it might even be backlit depending on what packages you’ve bought, but it really brings the interior aesthetic down. We’d rather have nothing.

The CLA gets a class-exclusive center airbag to protect the driver and passenger from knocking into each other in a side impact. This deploys from the driver’s seatback and comes standard on every CLA model.

Standard driver aids include: adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring with exit assist, emergency braking and traffic sign recognition. You’ll have to pay extra for active steering and lane change assist, as well as automatic lane change. These all work great and are well worth the money, even though the combination is not as advanced as the Drive Pilot Level 3 semi-autonomous system found in the EQS sedan. A 360-degree camera system and parking assist system are also available.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) had rated the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology at the time of publication.

While there is no official word on the CLA’s warranty, we expect it to come with Mercedes’ standard 4-year/50,000-mile limited warranty along with complimentary roadside assistance, which matches what is offered by Audi and BMW.

Mercedes has not yet released pricing for the electric CLA, but we expect it to start right around $60,000. The CLA 350 4Matic will likely add $8,000-$10,000 to that price. That would put it in line with the BMW i4, but more than the $40,000 or so it takes to get a Tesla Model 3 in your driveway. Keep in mind that you’ll likely be able to tick option boxes to the tune of $10,000 or more on top of those estimated base prices before your purchase is complete.

While it’s likely to be more expensive, the CLA’s fit, finish, and materials put the Tesla to shame, and the interior design aesthetic, infotainment system and kick the BMW off the stage completely. We expect significantly more range than the Model 3 and i4, and neither allows you to reserve a charging space, either. However, you can get performance iterations of both competitors, something Mercedes doesn’t offer quite yet. An AMG version of this next-generation model could be in the cards, though.

The Mercedes CLA might not be a canyon carver, but it’s not trying to be a go-fast EV. Instead it’s a comfortable ride that can get you to work, through your errands, and back home again with style and grace. Some of the technology might be over the top—do we really need to know the title of every Kevin Bacon movie right now—but the way Mercedes integrates charging options, navigation and passenger entertainment is second to none. Expect to find it in dealerships late this year.