EXCLUSIVE! Next-gen Mercedes CLA

Compact luxury is about to get futurised!

Nishant Padhiar 19 Nov 2024 02:15 PM

It may have the most hallowed history in the arc of automotive evolution, but when the world’s oldest car maker invites you to a never-before-been-accessed secret lair to take a sneak peek into their future, it’s the stuff of dreams. Pun intended. Dubbed “Future Experiences”, I took the red eye to Stuttgart, the home of Mercedes-Benz AG and was soon ushered to their Sindelfingen plant site. Birthplace of many a Merc, including the mighty Maybach, there are areas of this facility that even employees have never set foot in. Not because they won’t, but because they can’t. Camo cars gingerly driven under the radar and existing models equipped with roof-mounted LiDAR/Radar units are a common sight in this part of the Mercedes universe. Guess I must be here.

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Achieving the numero uno status in India after a blitzkrieg 13 launches in 2024, Mercedes-Benz India doesn’t need a miracle, but the mothership is working on one anyway. The next-gen CLA Concept, showcased first in 2023 has had a growth spurt and is shaping up to be the next big thing for the German giant. While it will be a sedan, two SUVs and shooting brake body style in the EU, India may have to concede with just the sedan and SUV. Flashes of the car were seen all around the Sindelfingen site in bits and pieces and while it promises to be a segment shaker, the beauty is more than skin deep. In fact, all we got to really see were the electrical bones of the MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture), the all-new, born-electric platform that the CLA (and indeed many others) will be based on.

The biggest news, quite literally here is the 800V architecture that the MMA platform is built on and this means that the CLA will be able to accept up to 320kW DC fast charging! This equates to a 300km range in 10mins of charging. No more small talk over bad coffee during 45 minute charging breaks. But the next-gen CLA also promises to up the fun factor once you’re back on the highway too. Wiith a rear-axle mounted PSM drive unit dubbed the EDU 2.0 capable of a whopping 268bhp going to the rear wheels, the 4Matic versions will get an 80kW motor on the front axle for additional traction. This front motor can be decoupled and disengaged at lightning speed during low load or coasting conditions, increasing overall efficiency significantly. In fact, the Concept CLA has already achieved an efficiency of 12kWh/100km in test runs, giving it a real world WLTP range of a diesel-shaming 750kms!

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All this awareness about power efficiency has inevitably led to to the development of new cell chemistries and again, the CLA will lead the way with two different options to choose from. An 85kWh premium version that uses NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and a basic 58kWh LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) version. Even if all this EV tech doesn’t have you convinced, the MMA platform will accommodate a 48V hybrid version of the CLA too, with a potent and all-new 1.5L four-pot petrol engine. Again, state of the art in its design and execution, the engineers have managed to integrate an electrified 8-speed DCT into the 20kWh motor for an all-electric coasting speed of around 100km/hr. Different markets will get this unit in three different states of power, topping out at a generous 188hp of peak output.

All this and more was experienced via first-hand demos at Mercedes’ Sindelfingen plant where Stuff (India) was invited to have a sneak peek behind the doors of their Future Techologies Labs. Some of it will find its way into the 2025 CLA with the MMA platform whereas some of it will be perfected over time to be produced at scale and with a reliability factor worthy of the three-pointed star. But while it was a vision of the future, the eventuality of it is very real and tangible. AI, neumorphic computing, In-drive braking, sustainable luxury materials made with biotech and VR-led hyper-personalised experiences for different drivers using the same car are all on the anvil. Stay tuned for some more findings form this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Mercedes’ future plans!