- The electric Mercedes CLA covered 2,309 miles in 24 hours.
- He beat a 2019 record set by a Porsche Taycan.
- The third-generation Mercedes CLA will also be offered with a combustion engine made in China.
The new CLA isn’t even out yet, but Mercedes is happy to report that its smallest sedan has already set a record. The very first all-electric version managed to cover 3,309 miles in a 24-hour interval, beating a record set by Porsche in 2019. We remind you that a Taycan covered 3,308 miles on the same Nardo test track in Italy, where the CLA EV improved the old performance by 300 kilometers.
On the 12.5 kilometer Nardo Ring oval, the zero-emission CLA averaged 150 km/h and required 40 charges, with each stop taking around 10 minutes. The electric compact sedan did not move for about 6 hours and 40 minutes, or almost 28% of the 24 hours. Instead of making fewer and longer stops, Mercedes took advantage of the 800 V electrical architecture and DC charging, allowing an initial charging boost.
During the record run, which actually took place in April, the near-production prototype’s battery dropped to 10% before the CLA made those 40 pit stops to recharge it to 55% or slightly more. The car has only traveled about 60 miles between charges. Mercedes is still tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but we do know that it used a rear-wheel drive variant with a single engine and a two-speed transmission. A beefier model with two engines and all-wheel drive will be offered.
Although the three-pointed star focuses on the purely electric CLA, there will be versions with a combustion engine. The rival to the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé is offered with a newly developed 2.0-litre petrol engine, made in China by Horse Powertrain. If that doesn’t ring a bell, it’s a joint venture between Geely and Renault. We remind you that Chinese investor Li Shufu, founder and chairman of Geely, has a 9.69% stake in Mercedes. Side note: China’s BAIC Group holds another 9.98% of the company’s voting rights.
The revised CLA will go on sale next year, but the first variants will be electric. The mild-hybrid models are expected to come onto the market about six months later. The sedan is joined by another CLA Shooting Brake, which, despite its fancy title, should again be a traditional station wagon. Mercedes-Benz’s modular architecture will also form the basis for the next generation of GLA and GLB crossovers.
The off-road-oriented “Little “G” announced last year will likely use the same MMA platform. We don’t expect another A-Class sedan or a B-Class minivan.
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