With a profile that renders the larger CLS-Class in miniature, the Mercedes-Benz CLA gets a more curvaceous look come fall when it goes on sale. Looking much like the 2023 Concept CLA-class, the entry-level 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is still as sexy as ever.

Mercedes splits the CLA-Class into EV and hybrid offerings, as it tackles some of the most efficient small cars on the road.

The model will come in two flavors, as we've already mentioned: full electric and a mild-hybrid. The electric models will arrive with an 800-volt architecture and the ability to charge from 10-80% in just 22 minutes on a DC fast charger with CLA 250+ models and offer up to 350 horsepower on the CLA 350 4Matic models.

A slew of new product announcements have signaled that Mercedes plans to move back toward a more traditional lineup, one where vehicles with different powertrains exist alongside one another with fraternal-twin styling.

Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan will come as both an EV and a hybrid, and feature over-the-air updates and AI-based infotainment.

The electric CLA is the first Benz to put cargo in front of the driver in nearly 100 years. The last time was the W23 Mercedes-Benz 130, a small car with a rear-mounted engine and a luggage space in the front that Mercedes built during the early 1930s.

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA began its journey to the showrooms as the Concept CLA Class unveiled at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich. Unlike many conceptual forays, Mercedes claimed the Concept CLA was pretty representative of the car it previewed, and so it has come to pass.

Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ with EQ Technology and CLA350 4Matic with EQ Technology are expected to go on sale toward the end of 2025.

Mercedes-Benz did something a little unusual with the CLA, and now it has something in common with the Porsche Taycan.