Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric Unveiled In India With A Claimed Range Of Over 750 km

Mercedes-Benz India has expanded its electric portfolio in India with the unveiling of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric. This entry-level electric sedan will be offered in a single ‘250 Plus’ variant at launch. The CLA Electric comes with a single battery option and claims a driving range of up to 792 km. Wonder what’s more special to this car? We have detailed everything in the next sections:

Exterior

• The Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric has a low-slung coupe-like sedan silhouette with a flowing roofline that tapers cleanly into the rear. 

• At the front, the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric gets a closed grille panel with an illuminated star pattern. The slim LED headlamps feature a light bar in between star-shaped LED DRLs. 

• The Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric rides on five-spoke 18-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels, and it uses flush-fitting door handles that sit flat within the body when not in use. 

• At the rear, the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric has a full-width LED light bar with star-themed lighting elements integrated into the tail lamps, along with a clean bumper design. 

• Mercedes claims that the CLA’s aerodynamic design contributes to a drag coefficient of approximately 0.21.

Interior

• The primary highlight of the CLA Electric’s cabin is the wide digital display panel across the dashboard. It combines the infotainment screen and the driver’s instrument cluster in a single glass surface.

• The dashboard also includes an illuminated panel with multiple small star patterns integrated into it, which lights up on the co-passenger side.

• The circular turbine-style AC vents are positioned at both ends of the dashboard.

• The steering wheel of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric has a three-spoke design with integrated controls and a centrally placed Mercedes-Benz logo.

• The centre console gets a brushed aluminium finish with a storage area and cupholders positioned below.

• The leatherette seats have a dual-tone white and black finish with contrast Powder Red stitching and integrated headrests in the front. One can also opt for an all-black interior, too.

• The rear seats of the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric include a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders and a phone holder. 

Features & Safety

• The Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric gets a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system running MB.OS, along with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charger, and an AR-based navigation system.

• For passenger comfort, it comes with features like powered, ventilated and massaging front seats, along with a fixed panoramic glass roof for an airy feel.

• In terms of safety, the CLA Electric comes equipped with a Level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) suite, a 360-degree camera, ESC (electronic stability control), electronic parking brake with auto-hold, front and rear parking sensors, hill hold assist.

Powertrain

• The Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric 250+ is equipped with a single rear axle-mounted motor.

• Transmission duties are carried out by a 2-step automatic gearbox.

• Notably, it also gets an 800V architecture, which supports up to 240kW DC fast charging and can add up to 400km of range in just 20 minutes.

Expected Price & Rivals

The Mercedes CLA Electric will likely be priced from around Rs 65 lakh (ex-showroom). Bookings for it will commence on March 10 and it is expected to be launched later in April.  

It can be considered as an alternative to the BYD Seal and Kia EV6.