Mercedes' new electric 2025 CLA costs from £45,615

The UK specs and price of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA have been announced.

The all-new CLA, initially powered by an all-electric powertrain with of battery range of up to 484 miles. A mild-hybrid CLA will also follow later in the year.

Fast charging capability has also been added, but there's a catch – the CLA won't be able to use 400V DC chargers, which are common in the UK, because of a cost-saving decision by Mercedes. Rather, the CLA will charge at up to 350kW at 800V chargers, usually found on newer charging locations.

Charging tech aside, there's a sleek new look to the CLA, albeit one that maintains the its trademark four-door coupe sillhouette, with elements taken from Mercedes' EQ range of full electric cars. Inside there's a new, cutting-edge infotainment system, and both electric and hybrid versions will have a choice of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

The new electric CLA is a rival for cars like the Polestar 2 and the Tesla Model 3.

New 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA: price and release date

The new CLA is available to order now, with deliveries starting in the third quarter of 2025. Prices start at £45,615 for the lowest of three current specs – the CLA 250+ in Sport Edition trim – while the AMG Line Edition a costs from £49,375 and the top-spec AMG Line Premium Edition costs from £51,770.

Prices and firm release dates for the mild-hybrid version haven't yet been announced, but an educated guess would suggest a starting point of less than £40,000.

New 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA: exterior and interior

The exterior design of the new CLA features a long wheelbase (2790mm) with short overhangs, wide arches and a low roof to give it a sporty look. It's not just aesthetic though – the new look has a drag cooefficient of just 0.21 for improved aerodynamic efficiency. The long bonnet has some power domes added for even more visual dynamism, and the wheel arches house alloys from 17 inches to 19 inches in diameter. There will be 10 different designs of wheel to choose from.

The traditional grille now takes the form of an illuminated panel with 142 animated LED stars, which can greet and bid farewell to owners with various animations. That's on the electric version – the hybrid gets a more classic grille.

Full LED headlights are standard with Multibeam LED lights available optionally, and there are star-shaped LED tail-lights at the back.

Inside, Mercedes has gone for a minimalist design with a dashboard dominated by a new infotainment system, optionally controlled through an MBUX Superscreen. It comprises a 10.25-inch driver display and a large 14-inch central screen, with another optional 14-inch screen for the passenger available as an option, too. Other options include a head-up display and a Burmester sound system with 16 speakers and an 850-Watt amplifier.

Two types of seat are available – comfort and sports – with recycled upholstery options, as well as leather and microfibre.

The boot should offer plenty of cargo space with its 405-litre capacity, and there's a 101-litre "frunk" under the bonnet, too. 

New 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA: engines, motors, batteries and gearboxes

The new Mercedes CLA will come in full-electric form and, later, with 48-volt mild-hybrid power.

Two electric models have been announced. They are, to give them their full names, the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology – which is the model now on sale – and the CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology, which will follow later.

The rear-wheel-drive CLA 250+ uses a 272PS motor with 335Nm of torque, giving it a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds.

The all-wheel-drive CLA 350 has two electric motors – a 354PS unit on the rear axle and a 109PS unit on the front that kicks in when needed. That means a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds.

Both electric CLAs use an 85kWh (usable) battery that gives a very impressive official range of up to 492 miles in the CLA 250+ and up to 479 miles in the CLA 350. Both models support fast charging at up to 320kW, which would mean around 200 miles of range could be added in around 10 minutes. However, because there's no 400V DC converter fitted, the powertrain is not compatible with older 400V chargers, which include many faster charging stations, including older 50kW chargers and most Tesla Superchargers. Mercedes has said that the car's in-built navigation system will only direct drivers to compatible stations, although that could be trickier if you use third-party navigation software, such as Waze or Google Maps.

Towards the end of the year, the hybrid CLA will be revealed in full. It uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 48V system and an electric motor integrated into the transmission, which means it can run on electricity only at low speeds and for short distances.

New 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA: trim levels

Three trim levels are available on the new Mercedes CLA to start with – Sport Edition, AMG Line Edition and AMG Line Premium Edition.

Standard features across the range include the 14-inch central infotainment screen and illuminated front panel with 142 individually animated LED stars, as well as a panoramic glass roof. The Sport edition comes with LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, and heated front seats.

The AMG Line Edition has more aggressive body styling, inspired by Mercedes' high-performance AMG cars, with flush-fitting door handles, keyless entry and start, as well as a wireless phone charger and ambient lighting inside.

The top-spec AMG Line Premium Edition trim includes 19-inch wheels and Multibeam LED headlights.