Yahoo Autos 2026 Mercedes CLA Is Coming, and We Dive Deep into Its Powertrains
The Mercedes-Benz CLA replacement, expected on U.S. shores in late 2025 as a 2026 model, promises to be a compelling subcompact luxury sedan.
The CLA-class will come in both electric and internal-combustion versions.
The same technology will come to the GLA compact SUV and at least one other crossover from Mercedes.
With the recent slackening of enthusiasm for EVs, many car manufacturers are slowing their plans to transition to the new paradigm. At the same time, they are still convinced that EVs will eventually become the new standard. Based on a recent preview of new technologies for the upcoming CLA replacement, Mercedes-Benz is taking an approach that will offer internal-combustion-powered versions of new cars alongside the electric ones, so that both bases are covered while buyers are figuring out which way to go.
Key to this strategy is using platforms that are compatible with both powertrains. The new CLA, for example, is built on what is called Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA). This is mostly a skateboard type of layout designed to accommodate a fairly thin battery sitting under the passenger compartment. The BEV version will employ a powerful electric motor in the rear, with an optional additional motor in front to achieve all-wheel drive.
At the same time, the MMA concept can accept an internal-combustion engine mounted transversely in the front, in conventional fashion, with the ability to send drive to the rear wheels. In other words, this flexible platform can accommodate a rear-engine/rear-drive layout in the BEV versions and a front-engine/front-drive concept when powered by an ICE.
With either alternative, the chassis uses struts in front and a multilink setup combined with a rubber-isolated subframe in the rear. Anti-roll bars and coil springs are fitted at both ends.
Designing for Smaller Displacement
The gasoline alternative for this CLA employs a new turbocharged 1.5-liter engine with a 48-volt hybrid system. Recognizing that ICE engines going forward will need maximum efficiency, Mercedes reduced the engine size—the hard way.
It would have been much easier to shrink the displacement of the current 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder by simply lopping off a cylinder. But the company found that the three-banger did not meet Mercedes levels of refinement, being both too rough and too noisy.
So the company designed a new four-cylinder that is smaller in every dimension. The 75.0-mm bore and 84.5-mm stroke, down from 83 and 92 mm, respectively, make the new unit shorter in both length and height. The shorter stroke and smaller, lighter pistons also eliminated the need for balance shafts.
A 12:1 compression ratio and a maximum boost pressure of 26.1 psi seems like a lot for the engine's modest output of 188 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. But in keeping with new European emissions rules, the engine operates at Lambda 1, which means no full-power fuel enrichment. And the engine uses the efficient Miller cycle, which employs a late intake-valve closing, so the 12:1 compression ratio is really more like a 9:1 compression combined with a 1:12 expansion ratio.
The engine is coupled to a new version of the Mercedes 8F-DCT twin-clutch automatic transmission that incorporates a 27-hp electric motor. This motor is more directly coupled to the powertrain than the belt-driven starter/generator uses on other 48-volt Mercedes hybrids. It can add power or provide regenerative braking through all eight gears. And in addition to its twin clutches, there's a third clutch that can completely decouple the engine from this transmission, now dubbed 8F-eDCT.
Completely decoupling the engine not only allows more efficient coasting without any engine drag, but also allows the car to run on electric power alone under some conditions. It won't go far because, in usual hybrid fashion, the battery is only 1.3 kWh. But at least it's a light and compact unit, mounted under the driver's floor and weighing only 44.5 pounds. All told, this powertrain weighs 17 percent less than the 2.0-liter version with the belt-driven 48-volt starter/generator.
As this was a technology preview, Mercedes did not discuss fuel-economy improvements with this powertrain, but we would guess a boost of 10 to 20 percent over the current CLA.
Details of the EV Version
The CLA EV is even more innovative. The standard version comes with a 268-hp electric motor in the rear, with an additional 107-hp motor in front with the 4Matic option.
What's interesting is that the rear motor incorporates a two-speed gearbox that automatically shifts to maximize the motor's efficiency. Even though electric motors are efficient over a wide range of output and rpm, their efficiency still varies. By shifting into a higher gear and running at lower rpm, this transmission keeps the motor operating close to its sweetest spot.
On 4Matic (AWD) versions, the front motor is only engaged when its additional power or traction is needed. As such, it's only a single-speed unit, but it does come with a clutch to disconnect it from the front differential when it's not used. Mercedes says that this reduces friction in the front axle by 90 percent.
The battery fitted to the CLA EV uses a new chemistry and is also designed to operate at 800 volts, the first Mercedes to do so. In the U.S. market we will likely only get the 85.0-kWh battery, which uses 192 cells employing NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) chemistry. Each cell is roughly the size of two paperback books placed end to end. They are wired in series to achieve the 800 nominal volts.
With silicon oxide added to the graphite anodes, this battery has about 20 percent higher energy density than prior Mercedes batteries, yielding 680 Wh per liter of volume. The 1094-pound battery is liquid-cooled to maintain temperature.
An alternative battery of similar weight and size, but using a less expensive LFP (lithium-iron phosphate) chemistry, has a capacity of only 58.0 kWh and won't be coming to our market.
In both cases, the 800-volt operation can accommodate a 320-kW DC fast-charger, which pumps enough energy into the battery for 186 miles of driving in only 10 minutes. Granted, these are the more generous WLTP European test miles, but even a 20 percent haircut to convert to EPA range suggests perhaps 150 miles in 10 minutes.
The full battery range is said to be around 466 miles, which on the EPA test might be a still excellent 370 or so. According to Mercedes, if you start with a full battery and perform two 10-minute charges with a 320-kW charger, you'll be able to cover 788 WLTP miles. With our usual adjustment, that's still 630 miles—a pretty good day's drive even for an ICE car without significant charging delay.
Of course, 800-volt 320-kW chargers are rarer than 100-octane pump gas these days, but they will only get more common going forward and help turn BEVs into true all-around cars.
Beats Taycan's EV Distance Record
To demonstrate these claims and benefits, Mercedes took a CLA prototype to the Nardò circular test track in southern Italy with the goal of breaking the 24-hour EV distance record held by a Porsche Taycan. Running at its top speed of 130 mph, and making 40 10-minute quick-charge stops, the car achieved a total distance of 2309 miles, shattering the Taycan's five-year-old 2128-mile record.
This CLA promises to be a capable and practical subcompact luxury sedan. Perhaps more important, it demonstrates that there's plenty of technical progress to be applied to electric powertrains and even a few more tricks on the ICE side.
The cars should come to America in late 2025, and the same technology will migrate to the GLA compact SUV and at least one other crossover. Expect a look at its styling and more detailed market information when we get behind the wheel for a first drive soon.
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