The stretched Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan is now officially available for purchase in China. It features 40 mm (1.6 inches) of added wheelbase, three trim levels to choose from and just one powertrain that’s fully electric. Prices start from 249,000 CNY and reach 299,900 CNY with all options ticked.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA L measures 4,763 mm (186 inches) long with 2,830 mm (110.6 inches) between the axles. The company says all that extra wheelbase goes into more legroom for the rear seat occupants, while the rest of the proportions stay the same. In fact, the car itself looks to us like a regular CLA-Class for that country – nothing to distinguish it from the standard-length version.
At the time, the only powertrain you can buy consists of a 272-PS (268-hp / 200-kW) electric motor and an 89-kWh battery pack. It gets 866 kilometers (538 miles) of CLTC-rated driving range per charge. In all likelihood, pricey dual-motor variants will appear in the lineup further down the line. In the meantime, the company patented another single-motor configuration with just 224 PS (221 hp / 165 kW) heading for the wheels. It should prove more affordable than the launch spec.
Like in other markets, the new CLA comes equipped with an infotainment system that can use up to three displays sized 10.25, 14.6 and 14 inches large. However, Mercedes claims it localized the MB.OS for the Chinese domestic market, adding AI features from the local IT firms and other such extras. The driving assist package was developed by Chinese company Momenta.
