Next-Gen Mercedes CLA Debuts With $47k Starting Price With Tesla-Beating EV Range

The First of a New Mercedes-Benz Family

The next-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA arrives as a clean-sheet model, headlined by its transition into an electric-first model. Officially known as the Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology, this new CLA is built atop an 800-volt architecture designed to improve efficiency, extend range, and cut charging times across both available trims.

Pricing starts at $47,250 for the 2026 CLA 250+ with EQ Technology, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive CLA 350 4MATIC comes in at $49,800, excluding $1,250 destination and delivery charge. Both will begin reaching US customers in December, with production increasing through early 2026.

What You Get at That Price

The CLA with EQ Technology enters the market with a feature set that pulls heavily from larger Mercedes models. Even the base trim includes the latest MBUX system powered by the brand’s new operating platform, profile login via facial recognition, a panoramic glass roof, heated front seats with memory, high-performance LED headlights, and a long list of safety and driver-assist functions.

Two new colors are available– Liquid Crystal Green and Sky Blue Metallic – plus an optional Night Package. Buyers can choose between 17-, 18-, and 19-inch wheel design choices, engineered with aero efficiency in mind.

Upgrades through the Exclusive and Pinnacle packages introduce flush-fitting power door handles, wireless charging, dual-zone climate control, 64-color ambient lighting, a head-up display, the MBUX Superscreen, and enhanced parking systems. Interior customization options remain broad, ranging from MB-Tex to leather, with various wood and metal trim styles available.

The CLA with EQ offers a claimed range of up to 374 miles for the single-motor model, positioning it as a long-distance contender in the entry-luxury space. Under optimal conditions, the system supports extremely fast DC charging – up to 320 kW – adding 100 miles of range in just 5 minutes and up to 202 miles in as little as 10 minutes.

How It Stacks Up Against the Gas CLA

The arrival of the electric CLA doesn’t push the gasoline version aside just yet. Mercedes plans to sell both the gas-powered CLA and the CLA with EQ Technology simultaneously for the 2026 model year. The current gas model continues largely unchanged, meaning the mild-hybrid version of the new CLA, which was announced this month, is unlikely to appear in US showrooms next year. We won’t hold our breath for the CLA Shooting Brake either, which coincidentally starts selling in Europe as an EV.

Pricing for the gasoline CLA starts at $42,750 for the front-drive CLA 250 and $44,750 for the CLA 250 4MATIC. The AMG variants reach deep into the $50k–$60k range. With the EV beginning at $47k, the gap between the top petrol trims and the entry EV becomes narrower, but the electric model delivers a significantly newer platform, far more advanced infotainment, and a longer list of standard tech.

The CLA EV’s architecture and interior tech could make the gas version feel several generations older, though the aversion to full battery-electric models could work to the latter’s advantage.

The CLA EV vs. Tesla Model 3

Its pricing places the CLA with EQ Technology directly against the Tesla Model 3. Tesla still opens lower, with the newly introduced base rear-wheel-drive model sitting in the mid-$30k range and the Premium RWD variant around the low $40k mark. The Performance model tops the $50k bracket.

Where Tesla keeps an advantage in charging network coverage and base-trim performance, Mercedes counters with range, interior quality, advanced cabin tech, and traditional luxury cues. The CLA’s longer projected range, combined with Mercedes’ design and material approach, gives the electric sedan a distinctive place in the segment.

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