Mercedes opens pre-order books for the CLA in China

It has been known since April that the CLA will be available in a long version adapted for China. Mercedes presented this long version at Auto China in Shanghai, the first time in the CLA segment. Until now, long versions of sedan models for the Chinese market were only available from the C-Class upwards.

The rear-wheel drive variant is now available for pre-order in two equipment lines, the CLA 300 L Ultra-Long Range Edition starting at 259,000 yuan and the CLA 300 L Ultra-Long Range Intelligent Edition starting at 299,000 yuan. The drive system is the same version sold in Europe as the CLA 250+: the 200 kW rear-wheel drive, developed in-house by Mercedes with a two-speed transmission, is combined with an 85 kWh NMC battery that can be charged at up to 320 kW thanks to 800-volt technology. In China, the range is stated as up to 866 kilometres in the CLTC, while in Europe, the stricter WLTP specifies 792 kilometres.

The 260 kW all-wheel drive vehicle with this battery, also known in Europe as the CLA 350 4MATIC, is also set to be offered in China at a later date. However, the model name and price are not yet known. Media reports on the current pre-sales in China do not indicate whether the 58 large LFP batteries will also be available in China, but the LFP battery is not yet available in Europe either.

Visually, the CLA L for China is hardly distinguishable from the standard model presented in March, with the same design language inside and out. The difference: both the wheelbase and overall length are four centimetres longer than the version for the European market – 2.83 metres instead of 2.79 metres for the wheelbase and 4.76 metres instead of 4.72 metres for the length. As is customary in China, the additional space benefits the rear passengers. There is no change in width or height.

The long version of the CLA also uses Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) as its platform. While the models available in Europe roll off the production line at the German plant in Rastatt, the CLA L is produced in China. In addition to the wheelbase, the software has also been adapted for China: Mercedes-Benz operates a digital research and development centre in Shanghai to develop intelligent cockpits and autonomous driving systems, as well as electronic/electrical architectures. These adaptations, such as a driving assistant developed in collaboration with the Chinese company Momenta, will initially only be available in China.

carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com

This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition