Electric Mercedes CLA long version launches in China

Around four months after its European market launch, the Mercedes CLA, which has been extended by four centimetres, is coming onto the market in China. It stretches to 4.76 metres, making it 40 millimetres longer than its main competitor, the Tesla Model 3. For customers in the People’s Republic, generous legroom in the rear is a decisive purchasing criterion, which is why European manufacturers often offer special long-wheelbase versions of their models on the Chinese market.

The CLA was unveiled to the Chinese public at an event in Beijing on 5 November. With its pricing policy, the German carmaker is also targeting Tesla as a competitor in the world’s largest car market. The mid-range sedan starts at 249,000 yuan, or around 30,300 euros. The base price of the Model 3 is 235,500 yuan, which is equivalent to around 28,700 euros in our currency.

Mercedes has slightly reduced the base price of the model known there as the ‘CLA 300 L’: at the start of pre-sales at the end of September, the price was still 259,000 yuan, which corresponds to around 31,600 euros. Above that is a more lavishly equipped version, for which the Stuttgart-based company is asking 285,600 yuan (approximately 34,800 euros).

For the market launch, Mercedes is offering a special model limited to 100 units, which costs 299,900 yuan, or around 36,600 euros. Among other things, this model comes standard with the AMG design package, which otherwise requires an additional charge, and an additional display for passengers.

With a CLTC range of up to 866 kilometres, Mercedes’ electric mid-range model is one of the longest-range electric cars on the Chinese market. Equipped with an 89 kWh battery, the CLA 300 L clearly outperforms the Tesla Model 3, a version of which with a range of 830 kilometres was launched in August.

One of the main reasons for this impressive figure is the efficient drive train: the 200 kW (272 hp) rear motor is said to consume just 10.9 kWh per 100 kilometres. A weaker and even more economical entry-level version with 165 kW of power is to be added later. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture and a peak charging capacity of 325 kW, the Chinese CLA also performs well at the charging station. Ideally, enough power for 370 kilometres can be recharged in ten minutes.

Special infotainment features for China

While the European CLA rolls off the production line in Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, the CLA 300 L is manufactured locally in Beijing by the joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Production was originally scheduled to start in April 2025, but difficulties with the software delayed the whole process until August. This was reported by the local business media outlet 36Kr in January.

Modern infotainment features are more important to Chinese customers than they are here. In this respect, German manufacturers have often been inferior to their competitors from China.

The locally manufactured long version of the CLA is set to regain ground here thanks to the latest version of the MB.OS software. Mercedes is relying on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip in the cockpit, which is currently very popular with many manufacturers in the electric car sector. The Chinese version also features a Doubao voice assistant with AI functions, contributed by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance.

cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com

This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition.