Yahoo Autos Mercedes-Benz's Upcoming CLA-Class EV Boasts a Taycan-Like Transmission
The next-generation of Mercedes-Benz's compact CLA-Class will be arriving quite soon, as the carmaker's teasers have made clear. To build hype before its arrival, though, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius took the new car to the company’s test facility in Immendingen to reveal a few key things about it.
Mercedes’s big powertrain highlight for the next-gen CLA-Class is that the electric version of the car will be fitted with a completely new motor and transmission. The powertrain is said to feature technology from the highly efficient EQXX concept, in an effort to bring improved efficiency to a production EV. Its transmission is somewhat unique, as well;Källenius says the CLA will be equipped with a two-speed transmission, a strategy that mirrors what Porsche does with its Taycan.
There’s an internal-combustion version of the next CLA coming, too, but Källenius doesn’t talk much about it in Mercedes-Benz's preview video. We know it will be fitted with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, an “electrified” transmission and ride on the same MMA platform, but details beyond those are lacking.
One specific detail Mercedes did reveal, however, is the CLA’s headlight design. It’s quite the complex-looking piece: Mercedes shows off a three-pointed star in the module itself, reminiscent of the stars used on the taillights of the E-Class. The top rim also has a brow with lots of small dashes extending upwards from a solid LED beam, demonstrating the brand's attention to detail.
Lastly, Källenius provided a short preview of the automaker's MB.OS infotainment system in the video, which will be making its production car debut in the new CLA. It uses an AI-powered virtual assistant to help make tasks easier via voice command, and can even be rather conversational should you feel like talking to it.
The next-gen CLA is currently planned to premiere in 2025. As such, we expect it to arrive as a 2026 model year vehicle here in the U.S.
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