Mercedes has high ambitions for its new CLA EV range

According to a media report, a mid-size SUV will follow shortly after the new CLA four-door Mercedes, which is set to launch soon. This X174 model (internal codename) should be on the market at the end of 2025 and is labeled as ‘a Tesla Model Y fighter’.

The news comes from Automotive News, which cites experts from AutoForecast Solutions. As already explained earlier, the models will be based on an entirely new platform and bring 800-volt technology to the range.

At the IAA Mobility in September 2023, Mercedes gave a preview of the upcoming CLA and the underlying Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform with the Concept CLA Class study.

The MMA is a newly developed platform for smaller Mercedes models. The development was based on the ‘Electric First’ principle: The MMA was designed and optimized for electric drives but can also accommodate combustion engines.

Efficiency first

At its core is an entirely new drivetrain optimized for efficiency: the study should achieve a consumption of just 12 kWh/100 km and offer a WLTP range of more than 750 kilometers. The 800-volt battery system can be optionally equipped with two different cell chemistries.

The top version has anodes with silicon oxide content for a particularly high energy density, and a charging capacity of 250 kW has been announced. The entry-level version uses cells with LFP chemistry. The MMA is also expected to support bidirectional charging, specifically vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G).

It has already been confirmed that Mercedes will build electric cars based on the MMA in three factories: in Rastatt, Germany, in Kecskemet, Hungary, and in Beijing, China. According to AutoForecast Solutions, the crossover will roll off the production line together with the CLA in Rastatt, where an electric crossover, the EQA, is already being built.

The report quotes Sam Fiorani, Vice President of AutoForecast Solutions, as saying that the EQB, which was unveiled in 2022, will not be directly replaced once production ends late in 2025.

As Mercedes has already abandoned the ‘EQ’ nomenclature with the electric G-Class, it is also unlikely that the new model will be launched as the EQB. The model could go on sale as the CLA SUV. A Mercedes spokesperson declined to comment on the product plans to Automotive News.

Model Y competitor

As a Model Y competitor, Mercedes would place the CLA model series in a particularly popular but also highly competitive segment. There has yet to be any speculation on the model’s prices, dimensions, or performance data.

Adding a crossover to the CLA model range could make economic sense: The current CLA model has so far brought many young and, above all, new customers to the brand, and an SUV could significantly expand the target group.

Luxury EV production cuts

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz is once again cutting production of its S-Class and EQS luxury saloons. In the future, there will only be one shift. The manufacturer had already canceled the night shift at Factory 56 in Sindelfingen last year.

In response to an inquiry from the German publication Handelsblatt, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that production of the electric model and the conventionally powered S-Class is to be switched from two-shift to one-shift operation in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The online portal mbpassionblog also previously reported on this. Specifically, the EQS (since 2021), the new S-Class, its long-wheelbase version, and the Maybach variant of the S-Class are built in Factory 56. All of them cost more than 100,000 euros, even in their basic configuration.

For several months, it has been apparent that sales of Mercedes’ top-end models are weakening. In the first half of 2024, sales fell by 22% to around 137,000 vehicles, although the company does not differentiate between drive types. Therefore, it remains to be seen how high the electric EQS’ share of sales is. In any way, the sales of BEVs in general at Mercedes have regressed lately, in contrast to its Munich competitor BMW.

Course change?

It’s clear that Mercedes now puts high hopes in its new MMA platform and the cars that will be based on it. After coming back on its decision to go full blast for EVs, the Stuttgarters are now apparently also considering staying in the entire car market, also the lower segments.

Not so long ago, Mercedes wanted to go even more upmarket and finally produce only cars with a very good benefit margin per unit sold. Apparently, the ‘rich and famous’ have plenty to choose from, and other companies, such as Jaguar, want to follow the same path.

Of course, a brand like Mercedes will always attract wealthy people and can make a lot of money by doing so, but maybe it’s more than healthy to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. In any case, we’re looking forward to the possible revolution the new CLA range promises to be.