One of many main unveils on the 2023 IAA was the all-new Mercedes-Benz Idea CLA Class. Identical to the BMW Imaginative and prescient Neue Klasse, the Idea CLA previews a future design language and know-how platform. Designed on the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz Modular Structure (MMA) platform, the CLA Idea is named the “one-liter automobile of the electrical age.” The Mercedes-Benz Modular Structure (MMA) is an electric-first platform engineered for a household of 4 automobiles overlaying a spread of physique kinds. The CLA being one among them.
750 km Vary
The brand new Mercedes-Benz CLA can have a formidable vary of greater than 750 kilometers (466 miles) within the WLTP. The 800V configuration allows speedy top-up of as much as 400 kilometers (248 miles) in simply 15 minutes. The in-house developed drive unit delivers as much as 93 % vitality effectivity from battery to wheels in long-distance driving. There’s additionally a brand new Mercedes-Benz Working System (MB.OS) which makes use of supercomputing and synthetic intelligence to facilitate new stage of personalization, security, comfort and automatic driving.
In fact, it’s the design that made the headlines. The outside design attracts inspiration from earlier CLA generations however incorporates a extra technological twist, significantly within the modern use of lighting. The headlights and taillights now tackle the distinctive form of the Mercedes star brand. The entrance grille, with its forward-tilted shark-nose design, includes a show of 264 miniature Mercedes stars, every geared up with three LEDs. Moreover, the glass roof boasts 652 stars embossed into it, supported by a single pillar on the entrance. Additional stars are elegantly integrated into the wheel designs. Whereas the facet and rear view are all bling-bling, the normal CLA facet profile continues to be there with clear surfaces and broader rear arches.
Superscreen
Mercedes-Benz Idea CLA Class – Inside
In distinction with the BMW Imaginative and prescient Neue Klasse and its Panoramic Imaginative and prescient, the Mercedes-Benz Idea CLA makes use of a Superscreen that spans the width of the dashboard. The Superscreen integrates each analog and digital controls for the local weather system. A floating middle console enhances practicality, providing handy space for storing beneath it. The cabin’s dedication to sustainability is clear by way of its collection of supplies, which draw inspiration from the EQXX. These eco-conscious decisions embody recycled PET plastic for material, nappa leather-based tanned utilizing espresso bean shells, synthetic silk, bamboo for the ground mats, and even handled paper for sure trim components.
Mercedes-Benz Idea CLA Class: The inside of the Idea CLA Class factors the best way ahead with the appliance of modern new supplies.
The BMW Imaginative and prescient Neue Klasse additionally present a sustainable inside, freed from leathers and with minimal components. The seats had been lined in corduroy whereas recyclable supplies had been current on the dashboard and middle console. General, the Imaginative and prescient Neue Klasse’s inside seems to be much less flashy and busy, because the one within the Mercedes-Benz Idea CLA. So you’ll be able to clearly see two totally different philosophies: minimalism vs. opulence.
Each automobiles are equally controversial when it comes to design, a minimum of based on the social media reactions to the automobile. Whereas BMW goals pay hommage to earlier iconic fashions (E21 three Sequence), the Idea CLA reinterprets many of the iconic Mercedes components. A manufacturing model of the Imaginative and prescient CLA will debut in late 2024. The Neue Klasse sedan gained’t arrive till 2026.