New-Gen Mercedes-Benz CLA Fully Revealed - Bigger in Size, Specs

Mercedes-Benz has finally revealed the production version of the next-gen Mercedes CLA. For people not in the know, Mercedes has recently showcased the CONCEPT CLA at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA comes with substantial changes in terms of styling, features and mechanics. 

The big update is that the entry-level Mercedes CLA comes as a pure EV for the first time. Adding to it, the baby Mercedes comes with a turbocharged petrol engine with a mild hybrid setup. However, the German brand has decided to not introduce the diesel powered CLA. 

New Mercedes-Benz CLA Dimensions - Bigger Than Predecessor

In terms of proportions, the new-gen Mercedes CLA is 4723mm in length, 2021mm in width and 1468mm in height. It is 35mm longer, 22mm wider and 29mm taller than the previous model. The sedan rides on 2,790mm long wheelbase, which is again 61mm longer than the predecessor. The new-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA has a boot space of 405-litres, which is 55mm lesser than the older model. Its EV version also gets 101-litre frunk space. 

Coming to the interior space, Mercedes claims that the headroom in the front and rear are increased by 16mm and 28mm, respectively. The front legroom is increased by 11mm, while the legroom in the rear is decreased by 7mm. The passengers in the second-row will have a slightly cramped travel experience, as it has less legroom and elbow room. It is the first Mercedes car in 90 years to offer a front luggage area. 

Design Highlights

The new-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA has a more evolved exterior design and looks significantly different from the CONCEPT CLA. It comes with newly styled front and rear light bars, which we have already seen on some of its cars. There are numerous illuminated stars on the front. The side profile comes with less curved and creases, and has flush-type door handles. Due to the rakish roof, it has a uniquely styled rear profile with a slightly compromised boot. It is claimed to have a drag coefficient of only 0.21.

New Mercedes-Benz CLA Interior

The cabin of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA is all-new and has new dashboard layout with a full width screen housing three screens. It comes with a 10.25-inch digital driver's display, a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment unit and an additional 14-inch passenger screen (which comes at an additional cost). 

It is a MBUX Superscreen, which is a triple-display setup with a large glass surface. This setup is available on the expensive Mercedes-Benz models. Moreover, customers can also buy a 12.2-inch head-up display by paying extra. The sedan also gets a Burmester sound system with 16 speakers.

The new CLA retains the turbine-style side air vents; however, the central vents are all-new. There is no separate screen for climate controls, and customers will have to use the touchscreen to adjust the AC temperature. The center console has cupholders and wireless charging pad. A panoramic sunroof is available as standard. 

Next-Gen Mercedes CLA Specifications

The new-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA comes with a new multi-link rear suspension sourced from bigger Mercedes cars. It will have wheels ranging from 17 to 19 inches. The new Mercedes CLA is powered by a new 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine paired to an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The engine comes with 48-volt technology with an electric motor. The new 1.5L engine will offer two states of tunes along with a choice of front-wheel and all-wheel-drive setup. 

The electric version will have two different modes - CLA 250+ with EQ Technology and CLA 350 4Matic with EQ Technology. The former comes with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup that offers 268hp and 334Nm of torque. The latter has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive layout that offers 349hp and 550Nm of torque. Both has a rear-mounted two-speed transmission, where the first is for city use while the second is tailored for highway driving.

The base version is claimed to achieve 0-100kmph in 6.6 seconds, while the AWD setup achieves 0-100kmph in 4.8 seconds. Both have an electronically limited top speed of 210kmph. Both versions are equipped with 85 kWh battery pack. The RWD model is claimed to offer a range of up to 792 kms (WLTP Cycle), while the AWD version delivers a range of up to 771 kms. It supports up to 325kW DC fast charging, which adds 325kms of range in just 10 minutes. 

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