Based on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), the Concept CLA-Class boasts slippery styling, sustainable interior materials, and a company-estimated range of 466 miles on the optimistic WLTP scale.
Most obviously, the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class features a huge, dash-spanning Superscreen infotainment system comprising three separate displays: an instrument cluster and touchscreens in the center and in front of the passenger seat. What look like Mercedes-signature turbine HVAC vents are actually dials for the dual-zone climate control, with airflow actually coming from strakes behind the floating Superscreen. Running the infotainment system is MB.OS, the automaker’s new operating system that features a liquid-cooled processor – displayed proudly on the firewall – for faster operation, crisper graphics, and improved functionality.
Two different battery types will be offered: entry-level, cost-effective lithium-ion phosphate chemistry and flagship silicon-oxide anodes for higher energy density. The battery cells are also held in place using adhesive instead of screws, saving weight, materials, and money while offering even better structural integrity. And although Benz wouldn’t cop to battery size, it did estimate that aforementioned 466 miles of range and energy consumption of 5.2 miles per kilowatt-hour. Do some math and you’ll come to a battery with 89.6 kWh of usable capacity.
The 800-volt electrical architecture gives the Concept CLA-Class 250-kilowatt DC fast charging capability, allowing it to add an estimated 248 miles of range in 15 minutes. Once on the road, the CLA’s battery sends power to a compact Mercedes-Benz Electric Drive Unit (MB.EDU), which integrates the electric motor, two-speed transmission, and associated inverters and electronics. Each unit weighs 243 pounds and puts out 235 horsepower, and the use of rare-earth metals in the MB.EDU is far less than in previous Mercedes motors for better sustainability.
On the Concept CLA, that drive unit is mounted on the rear axle, and the MMA platform is also capable of dual-motor power, meaning the production CLA should offer electrified all-wheel drive. Mercedes wouldn’t confirm whether the gasoline-powered version would be rear- or front-wheel drive in base form.
Speaking of all-wheel drive, the MMA platform will spawn at least three variants besides the CLA – two crossovers and a station wagon. As on the four-door, the other cars will likely also offer internal combustion powertrains, though the EV variant should arrive first. Other details as to the MMA cars have yet to be determined, though we expect the CLA shooting brake, GLA, and GLB to make their debuts soon after the CLA.
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