- 2 days ago
We're testing the new Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ Technology! This all-electric, sporty sedan enters a highly competitive segment dominated by the likes of the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4. Can this new version of the CLA win over customers? We're finding out its real-world range and if its sporty character is a good match for an electric powertrain.
In this video, you will find out:
How does the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ Technology differ from its combustion-engine counterparts?
What are the driving impressions of this new, zero-emission CLA?
What is the battery's range and how fast can it be charged?
Does the Mercedes-Benz CLA still impress with its sporty design and digital MBUX cockpit?
What are the main pros and cons of this electric sedan?
The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ technology is a promising rival in a segment that has been defined by the Tesla Model 3. This new model combines a futuristic design with an innovative powertrain, all while maintaining the luxury and comfort Mercedes-Benz is known for.
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ Technology – Key Information and Specs:
↔ Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQ dimensions:
✔ length: 4723 mm
✔ width: 1855 mm
✔ height
In this video, you will find out:
How does the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ Technology differ from its combustion-engine counterparts?
What are the driving impressions of this new, zero-emission CLA?
What is the battery's range and how fast can it be charged?
Does the Mercedes-Benz CLA still impress with its sporty design and digital MBUX cockpit?
What are the main pros and cons of this electric sedan?
The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ technology is a promising rival in a segment that has been defined by the Tesla Model 3. This new model combines a futuristic design with an innovative powertrain, all while maintaining the luxury and comfort Mercedes-Benz is known for.
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ with EQ Technology – Key Information and Specs:
↔ Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ EQ dimensions:
✔ length: 4723 mm
✔ width: 1855 mm
✔ height
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MotorTranscript
00:00this is the new mercedes-benz cla if you think it looks very similar to the model it replaces
00:05you are right however this is the cla 250 plus with eq technology a fancy way of saying it's
00:12electrified and in this case it's even fully electric it features a lot of tech which current
00:16mercedes ev lineup lacks and it improves on some of the stuff we've already seen is this the ev you
00:22finally want without an asterisk asterisk asterisk the little goal anyway let's find out
00:47come on come here come a little close don't be afraid no i don't wanna hurt you little more
00:52come near let me just show you don't know kentuck let me just show you don't be obsessive it could
00:57be intensive it could be explosive it could be offensive don't be defensive don't be aggressive
01:01it will be a waste cause we could be expensive you need a little fee in your life you need
01:19a little
01:20the new mercedes-benz cla is indeed very similar to its predecessor it's literally two three
01:26centimeters longer and wider the wheelbase has been extended by six centimeters and the new cla is three
01:33centimeters taller than the model it replaces thanks to the traction battery being located in the floor
01:39more on that in a moment after the enthusiastic reception of the design language of earlier electric
01:45models mercedes decided that all its cars should now look relatively standard and relatively similar
01:52new models feature slightly bolder headlights and tail lamps with a star motif but the radiator grille
01:58is less conspicuous do you recall those little chrome dots on grills and earlier mercedes models
02:06and recently the e-class had these little chrome stars here they've been replaced with 142
02:12illuminated led stars from a distance you can tell it's a mercedes up close it's not too flashy i like
02:20it aerodynamics have also been improved and the drag coefficient is now just 0.21 besides the streamlined
02:28front end the retractable door handles help and they finally work here i remembered that in earlier
02:34mercedes models especially the eqs and eqe the sensor on the retractable door handles had some sort of delay
02:41this meant add a tug on them because since nothing happened it was just a reflex here they finally
02:47work properly i have three pieces of good news first mercedes has decided that every new model will
02:54now be in both electric and electrified versions this means we'll soon see the cla with a mild hybrid
03:00combustion engine second the a-class in its current form will be available until 2028 production was
03:06supposed to season 2026 but there is no point axing a model that's still in demand and third the
03:13electric mercedes-benz cars finally have a frunk so you don't have to wonder what to do with your dirty
03:19charging cable the frunk floor is at a slope mercedes claims a capacity of 101 liters but this isn't a
03:28vda
03:28figure the frunk is approximately 25 centimeters deep approximately 45 centimeters long and approximately
03:3575 centimeters wide so that's more or less 85 liters roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase
03:43the boot capacity has decreased compared to the previous generation now standing at 405 liters it
03:50measures approximately 100 centimeters long approximately 90 centimeters wide at its narrowest point
03:56and approximately 46 centimeters high just behind the still too high sill there is a small compartment
04:04under the floor for repair kit and other small items inside things get interesting mercedes has
04:11published a table comparing dimensions between the old and the new generation and it seems that there is
04:16about one two centimeters less hip and shoulder room here and seven millimeters less leg room despite six
04:24centimeters longer wheelbase however there is almost three centimeters more headroom now this is strange
04:30since the traction battery is in the floor does anyone have any ideas what's going on i have a suspicion
04:39but i'll tell you about it when i get to the front meanwhile the legroom is fine headroom even more
04:48so
04:48there are door pockets big enough for my water bottle the floor in the middle is flat
04:54there are air vents and usb-c ports the backrest splits 40 20 40 there's an armrest with cup holders
05:01and behind it a pass through to the boot ice fix anchor points are only on rear side seats
05:09in theory i should have 15 millimeters more headroom than in the previous generation but
05:15uh i feel like my head is scraping against the roof what's the deal this is how i see it
05:21the cla has a
05:22standard panoramic glass roof i'm assuming headroom is measured to the glass and not to the parts which
05:28are closest to my head the seat can't be dropped lower so my head may be closer to the roof
05:35than in the
05:37old generation but further from the panoramic glass roof in the new generation a side effect
05:45beside the feeling that i'm about to bang my head on the roof is that i constantly see the orange
05:51passenger airbag warning light in the corner of my eye the light stays on constantly and only the message
05:58changes to indicate that the airbag is either active when someone sits in the passenger seat or not
06:04when the seat is empty to the best of my knowledge the cla recognizes when a rear-facing car seat
06:11is
06:11installed in the front seat and deactivates the passenger airbag from the description i don't
06:17really trust this solution and i would prefer a physical switch perhaps then i wouldn't have that
06:22orange light constantly in my eye other than that the driving position is good the seats are comfortable
06:29but the seat memory settings are on the screen recently while reviewing a chinese car i ranted
06:36about burying seat settings somewhere on the screen because it's a bad idea so imagine you have two
06:44drivers of significantly different height and they share one car the taller driver will always have
06:50trouble squeezing into the seat and to reach the screen to adjust the seating position i assume the
06:57problem is partially solved when you have two separate profiles assigned to separate keys which can even
07:02be your phones but in my opinion this is an unnecessary complication of a solution
07:09that's memory buttons one two three on the doors or on the seat why complicate it speaking of buttons
07:18mercedes also got rid of two rear window switches instead it took the approach that volkswagen is abandoning
07:24after a few years buttons for right and left side and an additional button to activate the right or
07:30left side but in the rear i suspect that like bmw also mercedes analyzed data from hundreds of thousands
07:37of cars on the road and concluded that they could save a few cents here and a few centimeters there
07:43by
07:43getting rid of these two rear window switches which few people use just because i'm not using something
07:50often doesn't mean i don't want it and a premium brand should understand that other things that
07:57perhaps few people use mercedes trimmed down the infotainment system interface it's closer to the
08:03iphone than to mercedes i'm sure very few people change the virtual cockpit skins but i always thought it
08:09was a nice feature the center display looks suspiciously small and that's because above it sits a camera that
08:16monitors the driver's attention level and recognizes their face you can link it to a profile and the
08:22seat will adjust itself but first you have to get in behind the wheel an optional third display is also
08:28available on the passenger side this really isn't necessary but i'm sure it makes more money for mercedes
08:34i guess the passenger will be playing games and streaming videos because the driver can't because
08:39you know they're driving the simplified interface has one advantage a home button and several recently
08:46used up buttons while the windshield defroster is on a panel with a couple of buttons below the display
08:53the rear window defroster is in the climate control sub menu and you have to click through to get to
08:59it
09:03mercedes boasts it now offers ota updates which will help users enjoy their cars longer the virtual
09:12assistant is now all ai and can solve problems that reveal your lack of personality the press release
09:19literally gives an example of asking the virtual assistant what's interesting in the area because you're going on a date
09:27if this isn't a red flag i don't know what is i mainly use the virtual assistant to find out
09:34that
09:34this car isn't equipped with things like heated steering wheel or maybe a system to darken this
09:42panoramic sunroof another feature this car didn't come with pre-configured is android auto apparently at
09:50a later date it will be possible to download it from the app store meanwhile i have to rely on
09:54mercedes's
09:55navigation which is based on google maps but it's not google maps it's nice to see where the charging
10:02stations are and information about parking capacity but i would prefer information about alternative routes
10:08or police along my route the door pockets are spacious there are cup holders on the center console
10:15and a very good wireless charger below the console is a shelf and two usb-c ports
10:23the storage compartment under the armrest is small the glove box is also tiny if you're looking for a
10:30start button there isn't any you get in with a key press the brake and select reverse or drive
10:56i'll start with the drivetrain parameters initially the cla is offered in two versions the rear wheel drive
11:01the rear wheel drive with a 250 plus and a 350 4 matic all-wheel drive both are equipped with
11:06nmc traction
11:07batteries with net capacity of 85 kilowatt hours a model with an lfp battery with net capacity of 58 kilowatt
11:15hours will follow
11:19the batteries are more efficient than in the previous generations of mercedes electric models and require fewer resources
11:26the batteries consist of four cell modules the modules are compact and flat and the energy density is 20
11:32higher than in earlier versions there's also a standard heat pump which further increases efficiency
11:39the mercedes-benz cla 250 plus with eq technology this is the model's full name has a promised wltp range
11:47of up
11:47to 792 kilometers with energy consumption between 14.1 and 12.2 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers
11:55i suspect that in eco mode with only city driving in good weather this is achievable in my non-scientific
12:02combined cycle i achieved around 15 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers giving me a realistic range of 560
12:10to maybe 600 kilometers even on the highway the cla consumed just over 15 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers
12:21in addition to the aforementioned excellent aerodynamic properties the electric cla features a
12:27two-speed transmission just like the porsche tycan or the mercedes amg c63s performance hybrid the gear
12:35ratios are 11 to 1 and 5 to 1 the shifting occurs depending on the driving scenario
12:40and speed so for example during my speed test runs i felt this shift shortly after exceeding 100
12:49kilometers per hour probably around 110 second gear allows for a top speed of 210 kilometers per hour
12:56and full power delivery at higher speeds
13:02the claimed 0 to 100 kilometers per hour time is 6.7 seconds in sport mode i achieved 6.3
13:09seconds and in
13:10comfort mode it was 6.8 seconds the outside temperature was around 10 degrees celsius and the battery state of
13:18charge was around 70 percent i mentioned this because for example in cupra born full performance was only
13:24available at the right temperature and with the battery charge above 80 which is practically never
13:31when the car is used properly speaking of charging the electric cla features an 800 volt architecture and
13:40can dc fast charge at up to 320 kilowatts this means it can recoup up to about 300 kilometers of
13:46range
13:46in 10 minutes under favorable conditions of course 11 kilowatt ac charging is standard and there's a 22 kilowatt
13:54option vehicle to home and vehicle to grid will become available with a future software update
14:03and what's it like to drive the cla 250 plus with eq technology honestly i didn't expect much but i'm
14:10pleasantly surprised it took me a few dozen kilometers to get used to the cla but then i discovered
14:16that the car is rear-wheel drive which is noticeable when taking sharp corners at speed this means the
14:23front wheels only have to do the steering rather than simultaneously fight to propel the car the steering
14:31is nicely tuned offering more feedback than even some cars with conventional drivetrains overall i feel
14:38like the cla 250 plus is 272 horsepower and 335 newton meters of torque were set by a committee to
14:46save
14:46something for more powerful versions because the car feels like it's capable of much more the perfectly
14:53tuned suspension allows for quick cornering without too much body roll while getting you over bumps without
14:59any unpleasant noises or vibrations it certainly helps that the amg package selected for this car includes
15:05only 18 inch alloys and no one bothered to order larger ones sound in electric cars this is often a
15:13divisive issue some like it some don't i don't mind as long as it adds to the experience rather than
15:19annoy me in case of the cla 250 plus there is no artificial sound most of the time under hard
15:25acceleration
15:28there is something like an engine pair which is fine but then there is also this kind of strange noise
15:35like worn brake pads when i'm braking and this bit i don't like so much
15:46the soundproofing is very good visibility is decent especially for a car with a sloping roof line
15:52a 360 camera helps with maneuvering the turning radius is over five and a half meters quite a lot
15:59furthermore the reverse emergency braking system makes it difficult for me to reverse into my driveway
16:06adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist works well though there is also a lane change
16:11assist system which is active on highways i also suggest you turn on automatic regenerative braking
16:19the car will begin slowing down not only when there is a slower vehicle in front of you
16:23but also before intersections or tight bends this is a good feature unfortunately it needs to be
16:30reactivated every time you restart the vehicle if you order the optional tow bar the electric cla can tow up
16:38to 1.8 tons this is more than many chinese combustion engine cars available on the european market
16:52prices of the new electric mercedes-benz cla started 53 280 euro that's about 10 000 euro
17:00more than the previous generation ice model a new hybrid cla will be launched at a later date however
17:06the outgoing cla 250 4 matic which offers performance similar to that of the cla 250 plus i'm reviewing
17:12starts at 56 300 euro so the ev may not be so expensive after all this test car with options
17:21costs 66 219 euro
17:27assuming you're considering a compact mercedes and aren't interested in the base model the electric
17:32cla 250 plus with eq technology is no longer the compromise like previous generation electric cars
17:38where after a few years of learning mercedes has finally learned its lesson and either people will
17:44start buying new electric cars or we should end this experiment and what do you think about the
17:49mercedes-benz cla with eq technology let me know in the comment section below if you like my sarcastic
17:58down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday at 3 pm central european time
18:05and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me with the youtube algorithm
18:10thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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