dailynewsnblog
After some criticism on design and price, Mercedes (MBG.DE) revamped its EV offerings, starting with the “entry level,” if you want to call it that: the CLA 250 for the 2027 model year. And they may have a winner on their hands, one that has the Tesla (TSLA) Model 3 in its sights.
But, the CLA 250+ is something a bit more — a luxury alternative to the sedan that defined the segment.
Let’s start with the design, which Mercedes needed to fix for its EV offerings. The blobby, swoopy EQ styling is gone. The CLA looks sharp: aerodynamic enough for an EV, but with handsome, properly resolved proportions.
Up front, the tri-pointed star daytime running lights are a nice touch — gauche to some, but I think they work. The illuminated grille is where Mercedes may have overreached. It’s a flat panel studded with 142 lit-up stars, and it’s showy. But this is clearly aimed at what Mercedes believes its luxury buyers, especially in other markets, want.
Inside, the fit and finish genuinely impressed me. The dash layout is clean, the materials are good, and the vegan leather feels close to the real thing. My only complaint is the one I have with most new cars: I want more physical buttons.
Nearly everything is touchscreen-controlled. Incidentally, there’s also a third screen in front of the passenger, which sounds pointless until you learn you can stream YouTube or Disney+ on it while charging, or, if you must, take a Microsoft Teams call. Not my thing, but somebody may find it useful.
Every CLA gets a fixed, glass panoramic roof, which helps its aero profile, and the trunk is usefully big — it earned its keep on a road trip this weekend.
The new architecture is modular, meaning this car runs a single rear motor for rear-wheel drive, with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive version (the CLA 350 4MATIC) on the way. In addition, Mercedes says the same body will also accept a 48-volt hybrid gas powertrain, including for the US. That’s the BMW playbook at work, using one body style for both electric and gas-powered buyers, and it works.
As an EV, which is how I’d buy it, the 250+ makes 268 horsepower and 247 lb-ft, all of it available from a standstill. It’s genuinely zippy around town and brisk getting up to highway speed. Push past 80 mph, and the oomph tapers off, but for daily urban and suburban work, it’s more than enough — quick, darty, and easy to maneuver. Mercedes quotes 0-60 in 6.6 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 130 mph.
Range is a real strength with the 85-kWh battery rated at up to 374 miles (EPA); my test vehicle on its 19-inch wheels came in at 317 miles, still comfortably ahead of most rivals. The EPA figure tops every Model 3 in Tesla’s lineup, which spans 309 to 363 miles depending on trim.
