Planned for a start to UK sales during the first half of 2025, the new CLA is the first of four production models earmarked to use the Modular Mercedes Architecture (MMA), a platform that supports both electric and internal combustion engine drivetrains, as showcased by the sleek Vision EQXX concept.
Other new Mercedes models based on the MMA include successor models to the existing CLA Shooting Brake, GLA and GLB – all of which are set to be launched by the middle of the decade.
The quartet form what Mercedes describes as its new Entry Luxury line-up.
Electric versions are set to take the EQC, EQC Shooting Brake, EQA, EQB names into production.
Developed to facilitate the transition to drivetrain electrification, the MMA replaces the existing Modular Front Architecture (MFA) with a skateboard-style design that, according to Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius, makes it suitable for a wide range of vehicle types.
Central to the developments included on the new platform is an 800V electrical architecture and a silicon-carbide (SiC) power-electronics system. Together, they’re claimed to provide a significant improvement in efficiency.
Buyers of the new EQC saloon will be offered the choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive in combination with either a lithium-ion-phosphate (LFP) or lithium ion battery (Li-ion), the most efficient combination of which is claimed to provide it with a range of up to 528 miles at a capacity of around 100kWh.
