Mercedes CLA 350 Shooting Brake | UK Review

Probably it would be fair to say that Mercedes’ electric car strategy hasn’t quite gone to plan thus far. Models like the EQE and EQS haven’t really delivered what was expected, both from an experience and a sales point of view; the existence of a battery-powered G-Class is only really confirmed by those for sale in the classifieds. For a company that blazed such a trail with vehicles like the SLS Electric Drive, the mainstream production efforts of Mercedes have been pretty disappointing. 

That stops now. Or it should, at least. An entirely new generation of Mercedes EVs is coming, including a C-Class and GLC Electric to rival the first Neue Klasse BMWs, the i3 and iX3. A new GLB offers up seven seats. And then there’s the CLA, the entry point of the revolution, and said to be ‘the cleverest Mercedes ever made’. Quite some claim. So even without a dedicated AMG variant just yet (or the base-covering hybrid powertrains), it made sense to see just how smart Mercedes smallest saloon – and Shooting Brake – really is. 

That such a groundbreaking refresh looks instantly recognisable as a CLA must be a good thing. A fussier CLA perhaps, but still a conventional junior Mercedes – and we know how popular they’ve been. The leap from an old CLA to this one looks far more evolutionary (and surely therefore easier to sell) than trying to link E-Class and S-Class with their decidedly odd EQ alternatives. It doesn’t matter how innovative or original a vehicle concept is, if the design is strange, most people won’t buy into it (see the original A-Class for proof). 

On an AMG Line Premium Plus test car, there’s a vast expanse of screen up front, almost like you’re driving with the rear Theatre Screen of a BMW 7 Series ahead. With a passenger display that the driver can see, there’s always a lot going on, but Mercedes is doing screens quite well at the moment. The icons are large and eminently proddable, pinch-and-zoom is excellent (as is swiping) and most features don’t take too much discovery. With some nice touches also (like phone storage under the central tunnel and adjustable regen on the drive selector), it’s an ingratiating Mercedes cabin. Which hasn’t always been the case recently. The material choices are nice, and the CLA feels decently put together. As it’s only right to expect for £60k…

Much of the hype around the new CLA is in its charging capabilities (up to 320kW), range (up to 479 miles) and efficiency (up to 4.9mi/kWh on this dual-motor 350). Which, in an hour and 30 miles behind the wheel, you’re not going to test a great deal. The CLA returned 3.4mi/kWh in our 60 minutes of driving, which is fine, given in UK spec this is a 4.28mi/kWh, 424-mile car, though it doesn’t necessarily present as the great leap forward advertised. Still, driving an EV where the predicted range readout sometimes went up felt nice.

At any rate, the CLA should not be discounted purely on an efficiency rating. This is a lovely small Mercedes to be behind the wheel of, a car as cossetting, relaxing and capable as we’ve come to expect from much bigger Benzes. It feels like the good bits of a modern Mercedes experience distilled into a slightly smaller package. Even by EV standards, the CLA is exceptionally refined, carving through the air with its 0.21Cd (and therefore very little wind noise) and only a hint of tyre roar. The steering is nicely judged enough, and the chassis balance sufficiently sorted, to make cornering actively enjoyable. With 349hp to call upon, performance is more than adequate. 

It’s the technology that makes it like a cut above, though. The stuff we’ve become used to complaining about has much more subtlety and tact about its interventions in the CLA. The regen and coasting is spookily good, intelligently adjusting to speed requirements or freewheeling like its tyres are little more than castors. Any concerns about screen operation (and there aren’t many) seem a bit redundant when the voice assistant can do everything from the massage seat to tell you about efficiency. The different EV soundtracks offer some fun. 

Perhaps more flaws would show themselves up in more prolonged use, but the CLA is an immediately impressive tech-laden product. When so many new cars are so intensely annoying, one of the Merc’s most notable achievements is just how user-friendly and intuitive it is. It has all the features (and many more) required of a new car, without any one of them dominating the experience, conflicting with each other or failing to work as intended. This is what tech showcases should be, and the experience surely bodes well for future Mercs. 

Best of all, this CLA actually feels more of a baby Benz than the model ever has previously. It’s supremely comfortable, well isolated, soothing and sophisticated. The Burmester stereo is mighty. While the focus is understandably on electrification, that the CLA has taken a useful step up in the luxe stakes (with the price to go with it, yes) shouldn’t be ignored either. It’ll be interesting to see how the incoming C-Class Electric moves the experience on. 

Which isn’t to say the CLA is perfect, even if it does feel like Mercedes finally getting a grip on what it wants a compact EV to be. The handling isn’t the most exciting, and that might be where a BMW alternative holds an advantage. And as has always been the case for the smallest Shooting Brake, this CLA isn’t the most spacious wagon around. Or useful: the rear load lip is going to be a disaster at the garden centre. Buy an ID7 if it’s a true load lugger you need.

But if you want a compact electric exec that feels like a significant step up for its maker, this is the car. While one or two reservations remain, the CLA is a more complete electric car than Mercedes has managed recently, which in turn makes it a more desirable one. Indeed, it’s the first car of this ilk that feels clever enough to get itself pretty much everywhere – yet remains enjoyable enough to drive also. Sure, you shouldn’t expect your pulse to start racing, but it was never intended to. What it does instead is demonstrate a much brighter future for battery-powered Mercs, probably more convincingly than any model that has preceded it. And that makes it just the reset its maker needed. 

Engine: 85.5kWh Nickel manganese cobalt battery, twin permanently excited synchronous motors
Transmission: Two-speed transmission, 4Matic all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 349
Torque (lb ft): 380
0-62mph: 5.0 seconds
Top speed: 130mph
Weight: from 2,188kg (EU)
Efficiency: 4.28mi/kWh, 424 miles range
Charging: up to 320kW (DC)
Price: £57,350 (AMG Line Premium Plus as standard; price as tested £58,915 comprising High-Tech Silver Metallic for £715, Direct Current Charging System, 400V for £850)