The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA has made its first debut here in Malaysia in a public preview event, held at the new Stars@Mercedes-Benz showroom in Bangsar. The third-generation model is not quite ready for an official launch yet, but it’s previewed here in the CLA250+ with EQ Technology variant (Ed: yes, that’s the full official name, but we’ll be sticking with just CLA250+ for simplicity’s sake), and is now open for pre-booking at an estimated price of RM295,888, with a targeted launch date in the second quarter of the year.
The model is launched globally as an electric vehicle (EV), but an internal combustion engine (ICE) powered counterpart will also be making its global debut some time in the future. Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) says interested parties can also register their interest for that now, although there’s no word on when it’ll be making an appearance.
The all-new third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA looks largely familiar to its fore-brothers, with a sleek compact silhouette punctuated by its stark, sloping roofline, at the same time adopting many of the brand’s latest design touches.
That said, the all-new 2026 model has actually grown in all dimensions, measuring in at 4,732 mm long, 2,021 mm wide, and 1,468 mm tall, riding on a 2,790 mm wheelbase. Still, it’s the smallest sedan-esque model you can buy now in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, coming in smaller than the next-step-up sedan in its lineup, the C-Class, given that the A-Class sedan has now been discontinued globally.
There are two main highlights to the CLA’s exterior design: The first, a closed-off grille element in front, with 142 individually lit LED three-pointed stars. That’s complemented by a large Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star emblem on the centre, also suitably illuminated, a three-pointed star daytime-running light signature within the full-width headlights, and also a Mercedes-Benz badge on the bonnet itself.
If you’re counting, that’s a total of 146 stars on the front fascia alone, and you’ll find even more at the rear (light signature, badge) and interior too. Some people say they buy a Mercedes-Benz just for the badge alone – and with this, they’re giving you so many reasons to buy one.
READ MORE: The all-new 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA has over 145 three-pointed stars in front
The second highlight on its exterior, albeit a little less shouty, is the CLA’s new rounded pebble-like shape. First introduced on the marque’s EQ models, the smoother curves are part of a range of aerodynamic efforts – including the 18-inch aerodynamic wheels – to help ensure the all-new CLA cuts through air as efficiently as possible.
Altogether, these touches have dropped the fastback sedan’s drag coefficient down to just 0.21 Cd, a segment-leading number. As a result, the all-new third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA also boasts incredible range figures – so much so that the German marque even calls it the “one-litre car” of the electric era.
The one-litre car was a symbolic name given to cars – mostly experimental – that can travel for 100 km on every litre of fuel. Well, the all electric Mercedes-Benz CLA hasn’t quite reached the 100 km per kWh of energy mark just yet, but it’s close.
On this CLA250+ variant, Mercedes-Benz is touting a rated range of 792 km (WLTP) from a single charge of its 85 kWh (usable) Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery pack. The official consumption figure is rated at 12.2 kWh/100 km, and thanks to its 800V electric architecture, it’ll also be able to gain 325 km of range (WLTP) in just a short 10-minute charge, using a high-powered 320 kW DC fast charger.
Performance isn’t shabby, too – a single motor on the rear axle pushes out 272 hp and 335 Nm of torque, enough to propel the CLA250+ to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 6.7 seconds. Keep your right foot pinned, and it’ll reach a limited top speed of 210 km/h.
Globally, the all-new third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA is also available in a CLA350 4Matic variant, which adds another electric motor to the front axle, bringing outputs up to 354 hp and 515 Nm, while dropping century sprint times down to 4.9 seconds. For that privilege, though, you’ll be sacrificing a little bit of range, with the all-wheel drive variant rated for just 771 km (WLTP).
We don’t know yet how the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA behaves on our Malaysian roads, but at least it’s still typically Mercedes on the inside, with your usual leather-wrapped luxuries accentuated by modern technology.
And there’s a lot of technology on here, as you’ll quickly realise staring at the MBUX Superscreen that makes up the entire dashboard. It consists of a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 14-inch central infotainment display, and on the preview car here, an additional 14-inch passenger display that allows the co-driver to still enjoy their movies or games while on the move.
The screens run on the latest-generation MB.OS software, and even integrates ChatGPT and Google Gemini into its AI-powered chat assistant for even more detailed functionalities, the latter being used for navigation and can pluck data out from Google Maps for even better POI information.
The car on display here appears to be a pre-production prototype unit destined/sourced from Singapore, and thus might not be fully representative of the final specifications of our Malaysian car. Nevertheless, MBM says that the eventual Malaysia specifications will also include the gargantuan panoramic glass roof, which does wonders in expanding the perceived spaciousness on the interior.
ALSO READ: Next-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA could feature Geely-sourced MHEV powertrain
That’s not to say that space is at a premium here, because knee room, legroom, and headroom in the back seats are all fairly impressive for a car in this segment. The same can’t be said about its sitting position in the rear seats, though; we found the backrests to be slightly too upright, and the floor a little too high.
Seated at the back, you’ll find your thighs being lifted away from the seat pews, and your back almost being pushed forward – some would describe the resulting seating position as almost “fetal”. At least, the two-tone seats do genuinely look pretty cool. Boot space at the back is rated at 405 litres, 55 down from the outgoing petrol model, but you now also get a 105L “frunk” (froot?) underneath the bonnet, apparently a first for in a modern Mercedes-Benz.
We probably won’t have to wait too much longer to find out more information on the car that’s eventually destined for Malaysia. But for now, Here are some photos for you in case you can’t make it to the public preview.
GALLERY
