Mercedes-Benz has announced the start of sales in Europe for the mild-hybrid versions of the third-generation CLA compact sedan; all are equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a 48-volt electric motor. The simplest hybrid, the CLA 180, starts in Germany at 46,243 euros. The new hybrid Mercedes-Benz CLA has turned out to be expensive; the electric version with the “with EQ technology” designation is estimated at approximately the same price for the base models—from 46,420 euros. For comparison, the starting gasoline BMW 116 (122 hp) currently costs 33,600 euros, but it is only available in the hatchback body style in Europe, and the base gasoline Audi A3 sedan (114 hp) will cost at least 32,100 euros. Recall that the global presentation of the third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA based on the MMA platform took place in March of this year; the electric CLA in the new body has the factory index C174, and the internal combustion engine version is C178. Until now, only electric versions were on sale, but Mercedes-Benz assures that they are selling successfully, so production even had to be increased at the Rastatt plant in Baden. Now, the hybrid versions CLA 180, CLA 200, and CLA 220 are on sale. All of them come standard with front-wheel drive, but the CLA 200 and CLA 220 modifications are also available with 4Matic all-wheel drive. All hybrid versions are not plug-in, which has not been characteristic of Mercedes-Benz for a long time. The buffer, or traction battery, is very small, with a capacity of 1.3 kWh, and the electric system is 48-volt. The single traction electric motor with a power of 22 kW (30 hp) is connected to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission; it allows the sedan to move purely on electric power for a short time at low speeds, and the internal combustion engine can be switched off when coasting at speeds up to 100 km/h.
Overall, the CLA’s hybrid powertrain is quite simple; a similar system has been offered by the Stellantis corporation on its European compact and subcompact cars for a couple of years. The internal combustion engine in the hybrid Mercedes-Benz CLA is a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline unit from the FAME family with the factory index M252; it operates on the economical Miller cycle and has a compression ratio of 12:1. In the CLA 180 version, its maximum output is 100 kW (136 hp) and 200 Nm; in the CLA 200 version, it is 120 kW (163 hp) and 250 Nm; and in the CLA 220 version, it is 140 kW (190 hp) and 300 Nm. The fuel tank volume for front-wheel-drive cars is 43 liters, and for all-wheel-drive cars, it is 51 liters. The maximum total output of the powertrain reaches 115 kW (156 hp) and 280 Nm for the CLA 180 versions, 135 kW (184 hp) and 330 Nm for the CLA 200, and 155 kW (211 hp) and 380 Nm for the CLA 220. The base front-wheel-drive CLA 200 reaches the first hundred in 8.8 seconds (top speed – 218 km/h), and the most dynamic in the lineup, the CLA 220 4Matic, does it in 7.1 seconds (top speed – 237 km/h). The flagship Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 4Matic starts at 54,228 euros. It should be added that there will be no new Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback based on the MMA platform; the current 177-generation model will be replaced by a radically new entry-level Mercedes-Benz model.
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