Mercedes Concept CLA Class Teases Interesting New Styling

Mercedes-Benz will introduce the ConceptCLA Classon Sunday at the IAA Mobility Show in Germany. It's the first vehicle built on the automaker's newMercedes Modular Architecture(MMA) and will act as an entry-level product in the German brand's range.

"The Concept CLA Class is the forerunner for an entirely new portfolio of electric-first vehicles that will serve as the gateway into the world of Mercedes-Benz," said Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management, Mercedes-Benz Group AG. "We will massively elevate our offering in this segment - developed from scratch on our new dedicated MMA platform. All of these models are designed to fulfill one mission: Redefining every aspect of what customers can expect in this format."

According to Mercedes, the MMA platform will be combined with a next-generation electric powertrain derived from theVision EQXX program. This fully functional EV holds the record for the longest distance covered on a single charge, as it traveled from Stuttgart all the way across the English Channel to Silverstone, UK. That's 747 miles, which works out to 406.1 MPGe, so Merc certainly understands efficiency.

Mercedes claims the production car will have a range of more than 466 miles and an energy consumption of 12 kWh/100 kilometers (62.5 miles), which works out to 174.5 MPGe. That's not as impressive as the Vision EQXX, but the new CLA needs to be an actual car that can fit people, while the EQXX was designed almost exclusively with aerodynamic efficiency in mind.