Mercedes-Benz’s all-new CLA launched first as a battery-electric car, and the mild-hybrid petrol version followed with European pricing announced in November 2025 and deliveries starting in January 2026. It shares its body, 800-volt electronics and MB.OS infotainment with the electric CLA, differing only in what powers the wheels.
The lineup runs from the CLA 180, a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 136 hp on its own, to the CLA 220 at 190 hp. Each is paired with a 48-volt starter-generator and a 30 hp electric motor built into the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, for combined outputs of 156 hp on the CLA 180 up to 211 hp on the CLA 220. The 200 and 220 are also offered with 4MATIC all-wheel drive. A 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery handles the energy recovery, which Mercedes rates at up to 25 kW under braking.
Standard equipment includes a fixed glass panoramic roof, an illuminated grille surround, next-generation MBUX running on MB.OS, a 10.25-inch driver display and a 14-inch central touchscreen.
European prices range from 46,243 euros for the CLA 180 to 54,228 euros for the CLA 220 4MATIC. Mercedes says the petrol CLA reaches US dealerships in the second half of 2026.
CLA L, the China version
China gets a different car under the same name. The CLA L is built locally by Beijing Benz Automotive, the joint venture between Mercedes and BAIC, on the same MMA platform and 800-volt architecture, but on a wheelbase stretched to 2,830 mm, 40 mm longer than the global car, for buyers in this class who are more often in the back seat. It is sold only as a battery-electric car.
There are two trims. The entry CLA 260 L runs a 60 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery and a single motor for a CLTC-rated 600 km, and arrived in April 2026 from 229,000 yuan. The CLA 300 L steps up to an 89 kWh battery, 866 km of CLTC range and a 200 kW (272 hp) rear motor, with a two-speed transmission and 800-volt charging up to 325 kW, from 249,000 yuan. Inside, the CLA L carries over the standard car’s cabin, MB.OS included.
The CLA 300 L opened for pre-order in September 2025 at 259,000 yuan and launched in Beijing on November 5, 2025 at 249,000 yuan, roughly half the starting price of the CLA sold in Europe.
