German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has unveiled what it calls the Concept CLA Class EVs. Rather than being a single vehicle, the range will comprise of four models – a four-door coupe, a shooting brake, and two SUVs. These are “designed on the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform”.
The range was unveiled at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, Germany, with the coupe model concept being the one getting the spotlight. Rather than sharing the usual performance figures like horsepower and torque, Mercedes-Benz instead puts the emphasis on endurance. The company notes that the electric vehicle is capable of a WLTP range of up to 750km, and a power consumption of around 12 kWh / 100km. Providing this performance is the 175 kW two-speed electric motor.
Charging speeds is also pretty rapid, with the 250 kW DC charging providing up to 400km of range in 15 minutes of being plugged in. The battery itself is noted to be in a high-voltage 800V configuration, but its actual capacity is not shared. The company also notes that the battery in the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class EVs are also capable of bidirectional charging.
Design-wise, it does look quite over-the-top, but that’s usually what you’d expect from concept cars anyway. There’s the front “grille” which has the company’s three-pointed stars branding sprinkled all over, with the shape also being visible in the headlights.It’s pretty much the same story with the massive wheels.
The interior is also similarly futuristic, with ambient blue lights all around, especially the bit below the armrest console. The roof is almost entirely glass, with the same sprinkling of the company’s branding all over. Most of this will probably not make it to the final production model of the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class EVs.
Speaking of which, the company says that these electric vehicles offer “a close-to-production insight in to the upcoming family of vehicles that stand at the gateway to the brand”. The announcement press release does not mention when said production model will be made, but a couple of reports peg the window to be late 2024.
(Source: Mecedes-Benz, Engadget, SlashGear)
