2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA First Drive: More Style And Range Puts EV Rivals On Notice

I wouldn't blame you for not being super-gaga over the current crop of EVs from Mercedes-Benz. While they all drive perfectly fine, feature impeccable interior materials, and are loaded with the latest tech, they look, well, not so great. Aside from the battery-electric G Wagen, the EV lineup out of Stuttgart looks like it was carved out of a bar of soap. They aren't ugly, but they don't make any kind of a statement either.

Enter the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA. The entry-level four-door fastback is now a good-looking EV and although we don't have the final word on range, it looks to have more than enough to satisfy your average commuter while still providing plenty of driving comfort and entertainment for longer road trips.

When the CLA–officially called the CLA Class with EQ Technology–is released later this year, you'll be able to drive off in a rear-wheel drive 250+ with 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque, or an all-wheel drive 350+ with 349 ponies and 380 pound-feet of twist. Neither of these are the quickest cars around, taking at best 4.8 seconds to reach sixty miles per hour from a standstill, but the electric power delivery is smooth and easy.

The CLA comes with a two-speed transmission to ensure it can zip off the line while not sacrificing high-speed efficiency or mid-range acceleration. The shift is mostly done in the background, although a few times I felt the car shudder a tiny bit. It's very subtle, however, and unless you have a sensitive butt-dyno, I doubt you'll even notice it.

Steering here is pretty light, although it firms up a bit in sport mode. Don't expect any kind of ride quality change or stiff dampers in sport mode, however: this is still more of a commuter car than sports car. It's comfortable and easy to drive, but don't look to be tearing up the back roads. Get a gas-powered AMG CLA if that's your jam.

If you like one-pedal driving–and who doesn't like getting free electrons with brake regeneration–just set the CLA to the most aggressive of four settings and watch the car come to a complete stop, all without ever having to touch the mechanical brakes. However, I had to slam on my brakes once or twice for a wayward commuter and found the two systems blended easily together for confident stopping.

As of this writing Mercedes has only tested the CLA's range on the more-permissive WLTP cycle, where the 250+ managed 492 miles of range out of its 85 kWh battery. You can expect a bit less from the all-wheel drive 350+. I expect the car won't fare quite so well with the stringent EPA testing, but it's likely to land somewhere around 400 miles of range. Yeah, I'll take that, especially when you consider the current EQE sedan only ekes out 308 miles of range from a 96 kWh battery and it takes a 118 kWh battery to get 390 miles of range in the EQS sedan. 

When it comes to charging, the CLA gets a NACS port so it can hop on in at any Tesla charging station. The 800-volt system allows it to take in electrons at 320 kW, quick enough to get from 10-80% state of charge in just 22 minutes, or add 200 miles of range–on the WLTP cycle, of course–in just 10 minutes. For charging at home, the CLA comes with a Type 1 J1772 plug that can take in AC power at up to 9.6 kW.

But here's the really cool part: you can reserve a charging spot at select Mercedes charging stations in the United States. You have to be using the native navigation system to do so but the car will reserve a port when you're 15 minutes out from the station. The charging outlet knows it's your CLA that is coming and won't sync up to any other vehicle that tries to snag your plug. If you don't show up after 15 minutes, your reservation is released. I didn't get to see this process in action, but what a great way to alleviate the time suck at public charging stations. Mercedes hopes to have 10,000 of these reservable charge points in operation by 2030.

Of course, I can't talk about any Mercedes these days without mentioning the S-word. That's right: screens. Standard you'll get a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14-inch center display running the fourth generation of the company's MBUX infotainment system. If you don't like it you can always use wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but Mercedes has some cool incentives for keeping it native.

First off, the navigation provides routes specifically calibrated to the CLA, including charging stops and the automatic reservation system I talked about earlier. You can also pony up for the augmented reality feature that overlays arrows and address numbers on a forward-facing video feed to the center screen. My test drive was in Copenhagen, Denmark and the added confidence of directional arrows was a godsend in the unfamiliar location.

However, the system goes over the top in a few instances, like offering up a 3D representation of the car's location on the screen and providing a forward-facing video feed to the screen when you come to a stop: information that you could also get by using, you know, your eyes. There is also a selfie cam, for some reason. I guess if your phone runs out of battery you can still get that pic to post to the 'Gram, but it seems a little absurd if you ask me.

My tester was equipped with the optional Superscreen that adds a 14-inch passenger display to the whole shebang. This is mostly for entertainment with web browsing, games, streaming options, and the like. However, instead of making the screen invisible to the driver using engineering magic like other manufacturers do with passenger screens, Mercedes relies on that selfie cam to track the driver's eyeballs. Too many glances at the screen and it turns off, essentially punishing the passenger for the driver's bad behavior. What the what?

Keep in mind that if you don't opt for the Superscreen, you get a 14-inch piece of plastic trim in its stead. Mercedes gussied it up with the star pattern and it can even be backlit in certain trims, but in the end it's a piece of plastic in an otherwise very handsome cabin.

If you found the old Mercedes multi-functional steering wheel to be intimidating, it's a bit more simple in the CLA. Gone are the pads on either side that controlled either the digital gauge or the infotainment screen. Now there is a singular touchpoint on the right hand side that controls the gauge cluster. MBUX is controlled only by touch. Not only is this much easier to control, there is more room on the left side of the wheel for cruise control functions.

You won't find Mercedes' nifty hands-free/eyes-off Drive Pilot technology in the new CLA. That's reserved for the EQS sedan and the gas-powered S-Class. Instead you'll get blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition as standard fare. You'll have to tick the box and spend more money if you want to add active lane change assist and steering that can keep you toddling down the highway stress-free as long as you keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes up. There is even an automatic lane change where the car will initiate a pass around slower-moving vehicles when adaptive cruise control is active. I've always liked Mercedes' driver assist systems, and they're no different here in the CLA. Everything works together seamlessly.

For this year's CLA, Mercedes also added a strategically placed airbag. Deploying from the driver's seatback, this standard airbag ends up between the driver and passenger in the case of a side impact. This is a class-exclusive safety feature, designed to keep heads from colliding when it all goes sideways. Let's hope it makes it on to other models as well.

Overall the CLA has gotten a bit bigger in most directions. It's longer and wider, although the overall height increased by an inch or so. More importantly, it actually has some design lines and edges that make it look less soft than the current crop of electric sedans–to say nothing of the electric SUVs–currently offered by Mercedes. New colors include Sky Blue Metallic and Liquid Crystal Green, and you have your choice of wheels ranging from 17 to 19 inches.

One thing is sure: Mercedes is not messing around when it comes to branding. In addition to the light-up star in the grill and other traditional logos, the grille has 142 light-up 'Benz stars that will do a little dance on entry and exit. The standard LED headlights come with a star reflector, while the logo functions as a daytime running light in the optional intelligent LED system. If that weren't enough, the three-pointed star is also featured in the tail light assembly. Okay, we get it.

As always you've got your choice of interior finishes. I prefer the open pore wood or brushed aluminum, but there is also a new material made with cellulose and hemp fibers for the hippie buyer. Some design cues, like the round HVAC vents, are from the traditional Mercedes playbook but the company has changed up the seat adjustment levers on the door as well as the window switches. There isn't too much storage space in the center console, but a lower pass through and deep door pockets make up for it.

Standard features here include heated power front seats and side mirrors, automatic climate control, a full panoramic glass roof, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Spend a little bit more money to get wireless charging, ambient lighting, and a 16-speaker Burmester sound system with Dolby Atmos. A 360-degree camera and parking assist are also available.

If you've got all the things in the world to haul with you, the CLA has a relatively roomy trunk with 14.3 cubic feet of space. The Tesla Model 3 has more, but then you'd be driving a Tesla. The CLA also has 2.5 cubic feet of space in the frunk, enough for a few bags of groceries or a small suitcase.

No word on how much this thing will actually cost, even though it's due to arrive in dealerships later this year. I'd put it in the low $60,000 range for the 250+ while the 350+ will likely be a few thousand dollars more. However, it's easy to add $10,000 or more in options on other 'Benz models, so plan accordingly.

When looking at the rest of the market, the is more expensive than the Tesla Model 3 but right around the same price as the BMW i4. While both BMW and Tesla offer performance versions of their compact EVs for those who want a go-fast option, Tesla's build-quality has always been a bugaboo for the brand and the i4 likely won't be able to compete on range. The current king of range, the Lucid Air, is a good match, but it starts at right around $80,000. 

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology is an excellent improvement over the current crop of all-electric sedans offered by the German manufacturer. It's likely to get more range out of less battery, it looks better, and the tech, while often overwhelming, is innovative and state-of-the-art. You have my blessing to scoop one up as soon as they hit our shores.