Die Mercedes-Benz CLA wird offiziell vorgestellt: Überall mit Mercedes-Logos, mit einer Reichweite von 800 Kilometern und intelligenter Fahrfunktion in der Stadt.
Text | Xu Caiyu; Editor | Li Qin
Mercedes-Benz's new bet, the CLA, made its official debut last night.
This is the entry-level model in Mercedes-Benz's Coupe series. Nowadays, Coupe is often referred to as a "coupé" model. Initially, Coupe meant a two-door sports car, emphasizing performance and design.
Mercedes-Benz is the pioneer of four-door Coupe cars. Compared with traditional models, Coupe models have a more dynamic and sporty design and more powerful performance. Mercedes-Benz's first-generation CLS pioneered the use of a sporty streamline design, and the devil's eye taillights of the second-generation CLS are still a classic in automotive design to this day.
Since then, countless manufacturers have started to develop their own four-door coupes and four-door coupe SUVs. Coupe has gradually become one of the most popular models among consumers. Currently popular models such as the Xiaomi SU7 and the Zhijie R7 all adopt the Coupe-style design.
In the past, as the most affordable model in Mercedes-Benz's Coupe family, the CLA aimed to open up the young consumer market, allowing young people to enjoy Mercedes-Benz's design and performance.
The third-generation CLA launched now holds special significance for Mercedes-Benz.
This is the first model on Mercedes-Benz's MMA platform, representing Mercedes-Benz's new thinking about electric vehicles. The concept and technology of the new CLA will be the core of Mercedes-Benz's second electrification process.
The new CLA also represents the debut of Mercedes-Benz's new generation of design language. Mercedes-Benz's classic model, the E-Class, follows the design language of the previous generation of electric vehicles in the EQ series. Mercedes-Benz is a brand that highly emphasizes its family design language, so the design presented by the new CLA is very likely to become a reference for the facelifts of other classic Mercedes-Benz models.
So, what kind of car is this all-new CLA that carries an important mission?
Mercedes-Benz CLA
Styling and Design: Compromised to Consumers, but Still Different from Traditional Style
The most attention-grabbing aspect of Mercedes-Benz cars is their styling design.
The overall dimensions of the all-new CLA are 4723/1855/1468mm, with a wheelbase of 2790mm. Compared with the previous generation, the length has increased by 35mm and the wheelbase by 61mm.
In terms of the exterior proportions and line design, the all-electric CLA has moved closer to Mercedes-Benz's traditional design, and the characteristics of a two-box sedan are more obvious. However, compared with the old model, the front hood of the all-new CLA is thicker.
In terms of overall proportions, the new CLA is more harmonious than the previous generation of electric vehicles in the EQ series, but there are still slight differences from the "Mercedes-Benz style" in the minds of consumers.
Mercedes-Benz CLA
The design language of the all-new CLA is very rich.
The most obvious feature of the whole car is the addition of a large number of three-pointed star elements. Both the front and rear lights are in the shape of a three-pointed star, and the front grille is densely covered with small three-pointed star emblems. Mercedes-Benz officially stated that there are up to 142 LED illuminated star emblems here.
Perhaps due to the battery increasing the height of the car body, the front face of the new CLA has a larger area and more design elements.
At the top is a through-type light strip, with two three-pointed star-shaped headlights extending from both sides of the light strip; in the middle is a large grille, surrounded by multiple small three-pointed star emblems around Mercedes-Benz's classic large three-pointed star emblem, and this grille can also emit light. There are also three air intakes respectively arranged on both sides and in the middle of the lower part.
This is a compact coupe, and such a front face with rich layers seems a bit "overloaded".
Looking at the interior, it is consistent with the form presented in the concept car.
The instrument panel, center console screen, and passenger screen are integrated into a through-type screen design, with two classic circular air vents of Mercedes-Benz arranged on both sides. The center console armrest adopts the common design of domestic new energy vehicles, which is simple and focuses on storage.
The door panel design is still in the Mercedes-Benz style, with the seat adjustment on the door and an island-style design in the middle. The ambient lighting of the whole car also continues to use the classic design, with light strips covering the armrest, air vents, below the screen, door panels, door handles, seats, etc.
Mercedes-Benz's most classic center console design has been replaced by a large screen, which may disappoint some "Mercedes-Benz fans", but the practicality brought by the screen may help Mercedes-Benz capture another group of users.
Configuration and Function: 800-kilometer Range + Urban Intelligent Driving
Compared with the design, the configuration and function are the core of this new car.
The new CLA will be available in two power versions: all-electric and 48V hybrid. The all-electric version is built on an 800V electrical architecture, equipped with a silicon carbide inverter, and features the only two-speed gearbox in its class.
Yes, that's right. Previously, only the Porsche Taycan and the Mercedes-Benz electric G-Class had such a gearbox configuration. This enables the Mercedes-Benz CLA to achieve an energy conversion efficiency of 93%.
The standard-wheelbase CLA uses an 85kWh silicon oxide anode ternary lithium battery, with a range of 792km under WLTP conditions. A 10-minute charge can increase the range by 325 kilometers. The long-wheelbase version launched in China can achieve a range of up to 850km under CLTC conditions.
Among the currently available models in the Chinese market, the Zhijie R7 under Huawei's Hongmeng Smart Mobility can achieve a range of 802km under CLTC conditions with a 100kWh battery pack. The Xiaomi SU7, also a sedan, can achieve a range of 800 kilometers under CLTC conditions with a 101kWh ternary lithium battery.
Mercedes-Benz provides a longer range with a smaller battery.
It is equipped with a battery with a silicon-carbon anode. Compared with traditional graphite anode batteries, its gravimetric energy density can be increased by 20%. And due to the expansion problem of the silicon-carbon anode, this technology is difficult to use in the current mainstream square batteries and is mostly used in large cylindrical or solid-state batteries.
This battery technology was previously only mass-produced in Tesla's 4680 large cylindrical batteries. Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the first among other brands to be equipped with more advanced large cylindrical batteries.
Mercedes-Benz CLA
The hybrid version is equipped with a newly developed 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor with a maximum power of 20kW. The new 48V lithium-ion battery can provide a battery capacity of 1.3kWh; the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox supports energy recovery in each gear.
Therefore, the hybrid version of the CLA can achieve a pure-electric driving range of 100 kilometers in low-speed urban scenarios.
It can be seen that a basic concept of Mercedes-Benz's new generation of models is to improve efficiency through technology to optimize the vehicle's energy consumption performance.
In addition to the basic power system, another highlight of the new CLA is the upgrade of intelligence.
First is the application of MB.OS, a new architecture involving Mercedes-Benz's Chinese R & D team, which can achieve the decoupling of software and hardware and bring continuous OTA evolution capabilities including driving.
Under this architecture, Mercedes-Benz has upgraded the voice experience in the new CLA. According to Mercedes-Benz, the new generation of its voice system incorporates AI technology, and the recognition rate, executable functions, and output information are all expected to be improved.
This car is also Mercedes-Benz's first model to support L2+-level full-scenario high-order intelligent driving. This function will make its debut in China on the long-wheelbase CLA.
36Kr has reported that Mercedes-Benz has chosen to cooperate with the domestic intelligent driving company Momenta on the long-wheelbase CLA, which is one of the important reasons for Mercedes-Benz to quickly launch full-scenario high-order intelligent driving.
After the launch of the full-scenario intelligent driving function, Mercedes-Benz is expected to join the first echelon of intelligent driving. For traditional brands that are a bit behind in terms of intelligence, choosing leading suppliers has become a common choice for them to quickly catch up with the industry mainstream.
With a good range, excellent energy consumption, intelligent cockpit, and intelligent driving keeping up with the pace of new forces, the model currently launched by Mercedes-Benz is the standard-wheelbase CLA.
In the Chinese market, Mercedes-Benz will also launch a locally produced long-wheelbase CLA, and its comfort and other configurations may be further optimized.
The price and the time of launch and delivery, which consumers are more concerned about, have not been announced this time.
However, Ola Källenius once said, "The CLA is the beginning and the first model to adopt new technology." For Mercedes-Benz, the significance of the new CLA may not be to become a bestseller, but to complete the mass production verification of Mercedes-Benz's new technology and open a new chapter in Mercedes-Benz's product lineup.