Mercedes Teases Thinly Veiled 2026 CLA Plug-In Sedan

Mercedes CLA Teaser (2025)

The electric version of the CLA promises outstanding efficiency thanks to its slippery body and 800-volt technology.

• Mercedes will launch a third-generation CLA coupe-like sedan next year and this is our first look at the production model.
• The manufacturer showed a lightly camouflaged CLA at an event in France.
• The prototype appeared to have two flaps on its rear haunches, suggesting it's a plug-in hybrid.

Mercedes-Benz will replace the CLA sedan with an all-new generation next year. This will become the third generation CLA and will likely be a plug-in-only vehicle with either plug-in hybrid or fully electric powertrains.

The Concept CLA Class design study, which was shown in 2023, gave us a good idea of what to expect but now Mercedes is finally giving us a peek at the final production model set to arrive next year. It’s still hidden by camouflage, but we can make out its body shape, proportions and other details from the photos.

Mercedes teased the upcoming CLA during the Festival d'Hyères in France, where it had a prototype that is likely for the upcoming plug-in hybrid variant. We believe it’s the PHEV because it has two flaps on its rear fenders; presumably one is hiding the charging port and the other the fuel filler cap.

If it is indeed the PHEV, then it doesn’t need much frontal cooling—the entire front end is covered up and only a small part of the front fascia allows air through.

The CLA’s design doesn’t hold any surprises. Between looking at previous generations, the CLA concept and the manufacturer’s newest models, which feature its latest design language, we have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to look like.

Its side profile is instantly recognizable as a “four-door coupe” silhouette, although the roofline doesn’t dip towards the rear quite as dramatically as in the current model. This may be because Mercedes won’t offer an A-Class sedan to go with the new CLA, which means the latter will need to fill the space left in the range by its more practical three-box brother.

Even through the camouflage, we can see that the new CLA will have a bit of a snout, a shape not too dissimilar from a Tesla Model Y or the pre-facelift Model 3. It will most likely have a faux grille with a typical Mercedes pattern, but with the camouflage on, it does look a bit like a Tesla.

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The rear looks similar in shape to the old CLA, but with a taillight design that’s closer to the new CLE coupe. Interestingly, even though we suspect this camouflaged prototype was the PHEV variant, we don’t see an exhaust under the rear bumper. We know Mercedes places the exhaust further behind the edge of the rear bumper in its latest models, which could be the reason why it’s not visible.

What makes the upcoming CLA interesting isn’t its design, which is just an evolution of what we’ve seen before. It’s what’s under the skin that is important: the MMA 800-volt platform, which promises to make the electric CLA one of the most efficient EVs available. Mercedes says it will use 12 kWh/100 km on average, which is roughly 5.2 miles/kWh and more efficient than the current efficiency champ, the Lucid Air Pure.

It will be able to add 248 miles (400 km) of range in 15 minutes, and Mercedes expects it to have a WLTP range of up to 466 miles (750 km). With these kinds of numbers, the CLA will not only be one of the longest-range EVs on the market but also among those with the highest charging power.