Mercedes-Benz CLA electric 2026 Review

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 Electric costs $72,200 plus on-road costs, while the CLA 350 4MATIC Electric jumps to $91,300 (+ ORCs).

Standard equipment includes AMG Line styling, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a panoramic roof, heated electric sports seats and keyless entry. Inside, a crisp and responsive 14.0-inch central touchscreen and 10.25-inch driver display run the latest Mercedes-Benz Operating and User Experience systems.

Our test car’s $1800 Premium Package added a head-up display, upgraded headlights, passenger screen and superb Burmester audio. The stereo alone justifies the price. An optional SKY CONTROL electronic roof shade is available for $1600 in the CLA 200 or $2080 for the CLA 350.

Safety equipment includes eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera, among other items, but the new CLA is yet to gain a local ANCAP safety rating, despite being awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2025.

The rear-wheel drive CLA 200 pairs a 165kW/335Nm e-motor and two-speed transmission with a 58kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery good for a claimed 470km of range (WLTP).

The CLA 350 adds a front e-motor for combined 260kW/515Nm outputs, while its 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery is said to provide 663km.

Every CLA is underpinned by an 800V architecture and support DC charging up to 200kW and 320kW respectively, while AC charging is limited to 22kW.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) hardware is fitted but won’t be functional until it’s enabled by an over-the-air (OTA) software update.

The CLA has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while its high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km. Servicing is required every 12 months or 25,000km with prepaid capped-price plans priced at $2455 for three years or $4295 for five years.

Efficiency is a highlight. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 used just 12.9kWh/100km, while the heavier CLA 350 returned 13.8kWh/100km after a highway run. Both weigh more than two tonnes and the CLA 350 adds about 95kg, making those results remarkable.

A slippery 0.21 drag coefficient, aerodynamic wheels and panelled underbody help but it’s as if Benz engineers wrapped the CLA in aerodynamic Spanx to disguise its bulging kerb weight.

More importantly, the CLA is a lovely place to spend time. It’s super quiet, the seats are comfortable and everything feels well calibrated. Nothing tries too hard to remind you that this is an electric car. It gets on with the job, refreshing in a market crowded with EVs chasing attention through gimmicks, strange interfaces and overdone driver aids.

This is where the German engineering makes a difference. Accelerator response is smooth, the steering is direct and predictable, and the car feels planted without becoming cumbersome. Changing drive modes adds steering weight and sharpens the accelerator, but the standard settings are so well judged that there is little reason to fiddle.

The CLA 200’s ride is firm, but beautifully damped. Hit a bump and it absorbs the initial impact, gathers itself and moves on. There is some tyre roar at highway speeds, particularly from the CLA 350’s larger 19-inch tyres on coarse-chip surfaces, but it never becomes unpleasant. For a compact EV carrying this much weight, the composure is impressive.

The CLA has four energy recuperation modes, ranging from off to nausea-inducing.

Intelligent or Auto is the sweet spot, coasting naturally and making even the brake pedal feel normal – long-term Benz owners should appreciate the familiarity.

The safety systems worked quietly without interrupting or second-guessing me. Even the overspeed warning threshold can be adjusted. Clean, responsive screens and a useful “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant complete a cabin that feels modern without making technology the entire point.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric’s larger body and dedicated electric-car platform improve cabin space, but ergonomic quirks remain.

Low seats make entry and egress awkward, there are no grab handles and the tiny exterior mirrors are basically pointless. The driving position is comfortable, although I kept bashing my elbows on the door and centre console. That could be my height, but it’s been a common occurrence in many recent Benz models I’ve driven. The higher-riding GLA electric may help.

Cheap, hard plastics appear around the sun visors and lower trims, although thankfully in low-contact areas.

Lane centring is strangely absent, even as an option, despite the standard fitment of adaptive cruise control.

The cruise control can also adopt a detected speed unexpectedly, for example if you’re driving past a freeway off-ramp and it picks up the 60km/h sign. Luckily this can be disabled. A head-up display should also be standard at this price and, strangely, the steering column adjusts manually.

The panoramic roof gives rear passengers more headroom and makes the cabin feel brighter and roomier. However, despite clever glass designed to reduce heat, glare and ultraviolet exposure, it still radiated heat beneath Australia’s uncompromising sun. A sunshade is available only as a cost option, which is disappointing.

Cabin storage is adequate and the 101-litre front boot is genuinely useful. Accessing it is less convincing. Most EVs offer a release through the screen or key fob, but the CLA requires two pulls of the cabin bonnet lever before you lift the bonnet like a conventional car. It makes the frunk feel like an afterthought.

The 405-litre rear boot is deep, although its aperture is narrow.

The CLA 200 Electric is the smart buy. The CLA 350 is properly quick and has the bigger battery, but the cheaper car’s quiet cabin, beautifully controlled ride and exceptional efficiency will likely make it the better daily driver for most.

It also feels cohesive and saves $19,100. Unless all-wheel drive, 4.9-second acceleration or maximum range are essential, buy the Premium Package and turn up the unbelievable Burmester stereo.

The rear-drive layout also leaves me keen to try the incoming CLA Shooting Brake Electric, which should deliver the practicality this accomplished little sedan is missing.

 
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 200 Electric at a glance:
Price: $72,200 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanently synchronous electric motor
Output: 165kW/335Nm
Transmission: Two-speed automatic
Battery: 58kWh lithium-iron-phosphate
Range: 470km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 12.9kWh/100km (As tested)
Safety rating: Unrated

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC Electric at a glance:
Price: $91,300 plus on-road costs
Available: Now
Powertrain: Dual permanently excited synchronous electric motors
Output: 260kW/515Nm
Transmission: Two-speed automatic
Battery: 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt
Range: 663km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 13.8kWh/100km (As tested)
Safety rating: Unrated

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