The number of new electric vehicles hitting the market plummeted when the U.S. government pulled the plug on support for the auto industry’s adoption of EVs a year ago, but the 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric would be a winner no matter how many fresh competitors it faced.
Exciting performance and handling, driving range that looks like a typo, and clean elegant styling make the CLA the best new sedan or coupe I’ve driven this year – regardless of drivetrain: electric, hybrid or solely internal-combustion.
Speaking of which, Mercedes understands that EVs aren’t right for everybody. A hybrid CLA will go on sale shortly. Also coming is the GLA compact SUV, which also will have both electric and hybrid models.
The new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) underpins the new CLA, GLA and GLB, another small SUV.
The CLA won me over completely during a recent weeklong evaluation. I look forward to getting acquainted with its siblings.
The CLA 250+ Electric by the numbers
The CLA is a compact sport sedan. Built on a new architecture, it has notably more passenger space than previous generation ICE (internal combustion engine) CLA.
Prices start at $47,950 for a rear-drive model with a single electric motor. All prices exclude $1,350 destination charge.
Rear-drive models are called CLA 250+ Electric because a single motor on their rear axle generates 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque.
All-wheel-drive CLAs go by CLA 350 4Matic Electric. “4Matic” is Mercedes-speak for AWD. The CLA 350 has a motor on each axle for 349 hp and 380 pound-feet.
CLA 350 4Matic prices start at $50,500.
I tested a very well-equipped rear-drive CLA 250+ that stickered at $61,530.
Options on my test car included:
You haven’t seen this in an EV before
Unlike most EVs, the CLA has a multispeed automatic transmission. Mounted on the rear axle, it has two gears and helps the car achieve both high efficiency and exciting acceleration. Nearly all EVs have a single-speed transmission. They don’t need multiple gear ratios because electric motors produce full torque as soon as they start, unlike internal combustion engines that need to rev up to generate peak output.
The transmission adds some complexity, but pays off in exciting performance and impressive range and energy efficiency.
I expect we’ll see more EVs adopting multispeed transmissions as the technology matures and competition intensifies.
The motor on the 350’s front axle has a single-speed direct drive, like the motors in nearly all other EVs.
2027 Mercedes CLA Electric trim levels and prices
Note: All prices exclude $1,350 destination charge
Jaw-dropping range
Thanks to the transmission, special tires and other goodies, the top CLA’s EPA-rated driving range on a charge is a whopping 374 miles from a relatively modest 85 kW battery.
My loaded test car was rated at 317 miles due to summer tires and other features. Based on my week driving, I’d guess all but the heaviest-footed drivers will do considerably better. Mercedes is cautious with its range figures.
Charging is fast, thanks to an 800-volt electrical architecture. The CLA can charge at up to 320 kW. That allows the battery to go from 10% to 80% range in as little as 22 minutes, or 200 miles range in 10 minutes.
My CLA’s projected range consistently exceeded the EPA projection.
Driving impressions
As you’d hope, the CLA 250+ Electric drives like a small German sport sedan. The steering is quick and responsive. Excellent road holding, in part thanks to “19-inch range-optimized summer tires.” That’s a new one on me, but they work, with plenty of grip and less cabin noise than I’m accustomed to from summer tires.
The brakes are confident, easy to modulate and – unlike many previous MB EVs – offer one-pedal driving for max energy regeneration when decelerating.
Passenger space is good, particularly rear leg room. Rear seat ingress and egress has improved markedly from the previous CLA, which felt to me like a closed-head injury waiting to happen.
The 10.3-cubic-foot rear trunk is small but usable. It’s complemented by a 1.4-cubic-foot front trunk – where the engine will go in the hybrid.
Attractive synthetic black and red MB Tex material covers the doors and seats. It’s comfortable and easy to clean.
The instrument panel features three separate screens under a single car-wide pane of glass: 10.25-inch instrument cluster, 14-inch primary touch screen in the middle and 14-inch passenger touch screen.
2027 Mercedes CLA Electric key features
What could be better?
A fixed glass sunroof stretches above the passenger compartment. My car had the optional Sky Control glass with tinting that can be transformed from clear to opaque. You can also make portions of the roof clear or opaque. The tinting and thermal insulation are more effective than I’ve found in many cars with full-cabin sunroofs, but the glass panel still got hot to the touch on summer days. Shouldn’t a $50,000 sticker price cover a fabric shade?
Some touch screen icons are counterintuitive. Why are the chiclets for ambient lighting and interior design themes features buried in a folder called “apps” rather than under the car-shaped icon for vehicle features? Some automakers seem to think a button for apps makes them seem cool and contemporary. I think features that are easy to find and use are cool and contemporary.
Why can’t Mercedes’s virtual assistant tell me how to adjust vehicle features like those?
Why buy a 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric?
Forget electric vs internal combustion. The 2027 CLA 250+ Electric is the best new car I’ve driven this year, and a strong contender for the best compact sport sedan, period.
2027 Mercedes-Benz 250+ Electric at a glance
Compact electric sport sedan
Rear- or all-wheel-drive hybrid or electric luxury sedan
Seats 5
EV on sale now. Hybrid sales begin summer 2026
Base price: $47,950. All prices exclude $1,350 destination charge
Model tested: 2027 CLA 250+ Electric (RWD)
Price as tested: $61,530
Power: Single electric motor on rear axle
Output: 268 hp, 248 pound-feet of torque
EPA estimated battery range: Up to 374 miles
Transmission: Two-speed automatic
Battery size: 85 kW usable
Maximum charging speed: DC: 320 kW AC: 9.6 kW
Charging time: DC: 10%-80% in 22 minutes
0-60 mph: 6.6 seconds (estimate)
Top speed: 130 mph
Wheelbase: 109.8 inches
Length: 185.9 inches
Width: 73 inches (79 with mirrors)
Height: 57.8 inches
Passenger space: NA
Cargo space: 11.7 cubic feet (10.3 rear trunk/ 1.4 front)
Curb weight: 4,553 pounds
Assembled in Rastatt, Germany
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mercedes just built my favorite new car of the year. What it is
Reporting by Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
