ELECTRIC DREAM (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

The Mercedes CLA electric can reset your expectations for compact Evs. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 38

Mercedes re-imagines what a compact electric car can be with this EV version of the aspirational third generation CLA. This CLA 250+ electric model sets a new standard for EV range in this segment that embarrasses the opposition.

Backgroundword count: 162

It seems like it's taken the motor industry an age to deliver a compact electric car with a similar driving range to a combustion-powered one, but at last it seems to be happening. That at least is what seems to be suggested by the subject of this review, the Mercedes CLA electric. This car was originally saddled with a clumsy 'EQ Technology' naming convention but the engineering behind it is anything but. With the result that Mercedes is claiming to have topped the magic 5.0mpkWh efficiency figure with this car. Let's translate that into real world terms for you; a predicted range of up to 492 miles between charges. That's just one of the things that marks out this very different third generation CLA, a model line that never previously offered an EV option. It never previously offered a self charging Hybrid either; that's the alternative to this EV. But Mercedes hopes you will want a full-electric CLA - and here's why.

Driving Experienceword count: 216

This EV model is offered with a choice of three powertrains. The base CLA 200 electric has a 221hp front motor energised by a 58kWh battery which offers up to 331 miles of range. The single motor alternative is the mid-level CLA 250+ electric, which has a 268hp motor energised by a larger 85kWh battery which offers a range of up to 483 miles. Lots of clever engineering lies behind these attention-grabbing stats, the front-mounted motor working with a Porsche Taycan-like two-speed gearbox, rather than the usual single-speed EV transmission. The idea is that this provides a short first ratio for quick launches and extra efficiency at town speeds; and a much longer second ratio to improve consumption at a cruise. 0-62mph in the 250+ takes 6.7s on the way to 130mph. As you'd expect, the brand also offers a twin motor EV model, the CLA 350 4MATIC electric. This gets an extra 107bhp motor with a single-speed gearbox on its front axle, giving a combined output of 349hp, which cuts the 0-62mph sprint time to just 4.9s. It also uses the larger 85kWh battery and range remains impressive at up to 447 miles. For the future, expect a flagship Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4MATIC+ EV with a pair of Yasa-developed axial flux motors developing over 500bhp.

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