- The electric CLA utilizes an 800-volt high-voltage electrical platform, and is one of the longest-range EV models in the Chinese market.
- Its cabin and smart driving systems incorporate locally developed solutions to better align with local needs.
German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz today commenced pre-sales in China for its all-new fully electric CLA sedan, amid an announcement of its smart driving collaboration with local startup Momenta.
The all-electric CLA 300 L is offered in two pre-sales variants, priced starting at RMB 259,000 ($36,340) and RMB 299,000.
The mid-size sedan is built on Mercedes-Benz's Modular Architecture (MMA). Its dimensions measure 4,763 mm in length, 1,836 mm in width, and 1,471 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,830 mm.
It utilizes an 800-volt high-voltage electrical platform and comes standard with an 89-kWh ternary lithium battery pack. Its CLTC range reaches up to 866 km, with an energy consumption of 10.9 kWh per 100 km.
This positions the model as one of the longest-range EVs available in the Chinese market. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) launched a new Model 3 variant in China last month boasting an 830 km CLTC range.
The all-electric CLA supports fast charging, enabling up to 370 km of range with a 10-minute charge.
Its cabin is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, a leading choice for mainstream premium EVs.
The cabin features a virtual voice assistant leveraging AI capabilities from Doubao, a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant ByteDance.
Earlier today, Mercedes-Benz and Chinese startup Momenta jointly announced plans to co-develop a smart driving assistance system based on Momenta's Flywheel large language model.
The system will debut in domestically produced CLA models this fall, providing driving assistance for highways, urban roads, and parking lots.
The all-electric CLA represents Mercedes-Benz's latest offensive strategy following its further understanding of China's EV market.
Local media outlet 36kr reported in January that the model's production in China was delayed from April to August due to software development issues.
Mercedes-Benz has established a digital R&D center in Shanghai, assembling a team of hundreds to develop electronic/electrical architectures alongside intelligent cockpits and autonomous driving systems.
($1 = RMB 7.1267)
