Not content to let BMW and Tesla steal all the electric saloon limelight this week, Mercedes has shown off its dramatic-looking new Concept CLA Class at the IAA motor show in Munich.
New MMA platform
This concept will, with some modifications, become the successor to the current Mercedes CLA and will be one of just four compact Mercedes models as the German car maker starts to trim the line-up. The next CLA uses a new platform, called the MMA - Mercedes Modular Architecture - which will replace the old NGCC (New Generation Compact Class) chassis which is found under the current CLA as well as the A-Class, B-Class, GLA, GLB, EQA and EQB. It seems that the only models which will survive the cull and switch to the new platform will be the CLA, the CLA Shooting Brake estate, the EQA and the EQB.
Mercedes says that the new CLA benefits from knowledge gleaned during the design and manufacture of the EQXX, a rolling electric concept car with which Mercedes has set some impressive long-distance records, including driving non-stop from Stuttgart to the Silverstone race track in England, with enough charge left for a few high-speed laps...
The Concept CLA Class uses two possible battery configurations: a high-energy-density silicon-oxide battery for the top-spec models, or a more affordable lithium-phosphate battery for others. Either way, the battery is integrated into the structure of the car for better strength and crash performance.
It sends power to a 235hp electric motor which is packaged between the rear wheels and features its own two-speed transmission. The motor is supposedly 93 per cent efficient at taking power from the battery and putting it through to the road, an improvement on current designs.
Add 400km in 15 minutes
Mercedes claims that the Concept CLA has truly impressive energy consumption of just 12kWh/100km (most EVs struggle to beat 18kWh/100km in real-world conditions) which gives it a range of as much as 750km. That would suggest a battery capacity of around 90kWh, slightly larger than that offered by direct rivals such as Tesla's Model 3 and the BMW i4. The battery will also have bi-directional charging, allowing the Concept CLA to charge up other electric devices such as e-bikes, as well as sending power to the grid when connected to a home charger at peak times.
The battery has also been designed around a high-speed 800-volt charging system, which gives the Concept CLA a maximum DC fast-charging speed of up to 250kW. Mercedes says that will allow it to add around 400km of extra range in as little as 15 minutes, if you can find a suitably powerful charging point.
"The technology that provides the foundation for the Concept CLA Class represents an entirely new approach for Mercedes-Benz and incorporates many learnings from our groundbreaking Vision EQXX technology program. For instance, our engineers have maximised efficiency by driving down losses in its 800-volt electric-drive system. It also features innovative battery cell chemistry as well as a high level of integration enabling excellent energy density. I am certain that our MMA platform will enable us to offer our customers in this market segment a class-defining combination of performance, sustainability, safety and comfort paired with an outstanding digital experience" said Markus Schäfer, Mercedes' chief technology officer.
Star-studded grille
The design is pretty striking, with a massive 'grille' studded with Mercedes three-pointed stars slung slow, almost gaping at the road. The headlights are partly-recessed under the leading edge of the bonnet, and they feature inset three-pointed stars too. The rest of the bodywork is perhaps a little more generic, but still has quite taut surfacing and there's a massive full-length glass roof, which almost seems to have no rear header rail behind the back seats. At the rear, there's a neat Kamm-tail look, with a discreet ducktail flip at the edge of the boot.
"The Concept CLA Class marks the start of a new era. It reinterprets iconic elements of the brand's rich design heritage to craft a whole new face of Mercedes-Benz. Here, the sporty forward lean of the distinctive shark nose from the '50s and '60s pairs with a new signature graphic for the electric age. The composition enhances the so-called eyebrow of the daytime running light with a stylised star. The star motif repeats as animated light bands in the A-shape grille design. These are defining features of our future look" said Gorden Wagener, head of Mercedes design.
Inside, things are just as dramatic with a new interpretation of the full-width 'Hyperscreen' dashboard. Here, it's called the 'Superscreen' and it's running the new MB.OS software, which Mercedes has been developing for its in-car infotainment systems for some time. The software uses a so-called 'chip-to-cloud' system which in theory makes for faster software development and more frequent rollout of new systems and apps. Mercedes says that the design is 'hyper-analogue' and has been created to mix classic cues with new tech so that people can be more comfortable with it.
Interestingly, this is one of the few concept cars for which grandiose claims about its self-driving abilities are not being made. Even though Mercedes points out that the Concept CLA uses expensive LIDAR sensors, the company only claims that it achieves the same Level 2 electronic driving assistance level as many current models. That's likely a reflection of just how close to final production reality this concept is.
Advanced technology previewed
There are some clever new safety systems, though, including a new Child Presence Detection (CPD) system. Mercedes says that: "It is designed to mitigate the risk of young children being accidentally left in a car during warm weather - and the associated, sometimes tragic, consequences." If it detects that a baby or young child has been left in the car on a hot day, the car will automatically fire up its air conditioning to cool the cabin, as well as sounding an alert and flashing the lights to attract attention. The system can even call the emergency services if no action is taken.
The Concept CLA is also an important step on Mercedes' journey to becoming an entirely net-carbon-neutral company by 2039. As well as it being an electric car, of course, it has also been designed to be built in a more sustainable way, including cabin trim made from recycled cellulose, sustainably processed leather which is approved of by the Animal Welfare Committee, bamboo fibre for the carpets and recycled PET polyester elsewhere in the cabin.
The Concept CLA has also been designed around stamped steel structures that aim to cut the emissions of carbon in their manufacture by 50 per cent, as well as using CO2-reduced aluminium.
"The Concept CLA Class is the forerunner for an entirely new all-electric segment of entry-level vehicles at Mercedes-Benz. The range will comprise a total of four new models - a four-door coupe, a shooting brake and two stunning SUVs - each with significantly elevated product substance. This new model family is inspired by a generation of car buyers who want that unmistakable Mercedes-Benz feel, with more features, even greater comfort and safety and the most advanced technology. They also seek a sustainable choice that is a cut above the rest. This hypermiler is the one-litre car of the electric age, with a range of more than 750 kilometres in the WLTP test and energy consumption of just 12 kWh/100 km. Based on the MMA platform, it provides an insight into the first complete family of Mercedes-Benz electric cars developed from scratch to put our Ambition 2039 on the road, whereby we aim to achieve net carbon neutrality along the entire value chain in our fleet of new vehicles in 2039" said Ola Källenius, Mercedes' CEO.