Why the 2027 Mercedes CLA 250+ Is My Favorite Car of the Year

The number of new electric vehicles hitting the market plummeted when the U.S. government pulled the plug on support for the auto industry’s adoption of EVs a year ago, but the 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric would be a winner no matter how many fresh competitors it faced.

Exciting performance and handling, driving range that looks like a typo, and clean, elegant styling make the CLA the best new sedan or coupe I’ve driven this year — regardless of drivetrain: electric, hybrid or solely internal combustion.

Speaking of which, Mercedes understands that EVs aren’t right for everybody. A hybrid CLA will go on sale shortly. Also coming is the GLA compact SUV, which will have both electric and hybrid models.

The new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) underpins the new CLA, GLA and GLB, another small SUV.

The CLA won me over completely during a recent weeklong evaluation. I look forward to getting acquainted with its siblings.

The CLA 250+ Electric by the Numbers

The CLA is a compact sport sedan. Built on a new architecture, it has notably more passenger space than the previous-generation internal-combustion-engine CLA.

Prices start at $47,950 for a rear-drive model with a single electric motor. All prices exclude a $1,350 destination charge.

Rear-drive models are called CLA 250+ Electric because a single motor on their rear axle generates 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque.

All-wheel-drive CLAs go by CLA 350 4Matic Electric. “4Matic” is Mercedes-speak for AWD. The CLA 350 has a motor on each axle for 349 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque.

CLA 350 4Matic prices start at $50,500.

I tested a very well-equipped rear-drive CLA 250+ that stickered at $61,530.

Options on my test car included:

• AMG Line package
• Night package
• 19-inch range-optimized summer tires
• Burmester audio
• CCS charging adapter
• Sky Control dimmable fixed glass roof
• 19-inch AMG five-spoke wheels
• AMG black and red MB Tex interior

A Different EV Transmission

Unlike most EVs, the CLA has a multispeed automatic transmission. Mounted on the rear axle, it has two gears and helps the car achieve both high efficiency and exciting acceleration. Nearly all EVs have a single-speed transmission. They don’t need multiple gear ratios because electric motors produce full torque as soon as they start, unlike internal-combustion engines that need to rev up to generate peak output.

The transmission adds some complexity but pays off in exciting performance and impressive range and energy efficiency.

I expect we’ll see more EVs adopting multispeed transmissions as the technology matures and competition intensifies.

The motor on the 350’s front axle has a single-speed direct drive, like the motors in nearly all other EVs.

2027 Mercedes CLA Electric Trim Levels and Prices

• CLA 250+ Electric: $47,950
• CLA 350 4Matic Electric: $50,500

Note: All prices exclude a $1,350 destination charge.

Jaw-Dropping Range

Thanks to the transmission, special tires and other features, the top CLA’s EPA-rated driving range on a charge is 374 miles from a relatively modest 85-kilowatt-hour battery.

My loaded test car was rated at 317 miles because of its summer tires and other features. Based on my week driving, I’d guess all but the heaviest-footed drivers will do considerably better. Mercedes is cautious with its range figures.

Charging is fast, thanks to an 800-volt electrical architecture. The CLA can charge at up to 320 kilowatts. That allows the battery to go from 10% to 80% range in as little as 22 minutes, or add 200 miles of range in 10 minutes.

My CLA’s projected range consistently exceeded the EPA projection.

Driving Impressions

As you’d hope, the CLA 250+ Electric drives like a small German sport sedan. The steering is quick and responsive. Road holding is excellent, in part because of the 19-inch range-optimized summer tires. That’s a new one on me, but they work, with plenty of grip and less cabin noise than I’m accustomed to from summer tires.

The brakes are confident and easy to modulate and — unlike many previous Mercedes-Benz EVs — offer one-pedal driving for maximum energy regeneration when decelerating.

Passenger space is good, particularly rear legroom. Rear-seat ingress and egress have improved markedly from the previous CLA, which felt to me like a closed-head injury waiting to happen.

The 10.3-cubic-foot rear trunk is small but usable. It’s complemented by a 1.4-cubic-foot front trunk — where the engine will go in the hybrid.

Attractive synthetic black and red MB Tex material covers the doors and seats. It’s comfortable and easy to clean.

The instrument panel features three separate screens under a single car-wide pane of glass: a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, a 14-inch primary touchscreen in the middle and a 14-inch passenger touchscreen.

2027 Mercedes CLA Electric Key Features

• Electric power
• 85-kilowatt-hour usable battery
• NACS charging port
• 320-kilowatt maximum charging
• 800-volt electrical architecture
• Rear- or all-wheel drive
• Two-speed automatic transmission on rear axle
• EPA-rated driving range of up to 374 miles
• Heat pump
• Adaptive front lighting system
• 850-watt, 16-speaker Burmester audio

What Could Be Better?

A fixed glass sunroof stretches above the passenger compartment. My car had the optional Sky Control glass with tinting that can be transformed from clear to opaque. You can also make portions of the roof clear or opaque. The tinting and thermal insulation are more effective than I’ve found in many cars with full-cabin sunroofs, but the glass panel still got hot to the touch on summer days. Shouldn’t a $50,000 sticker price cover a fabric shade?

Some touchscreen icons are counterintuitive. Why are the controls for ambient lighting and interior design themes buried in a folder called “apps” rather than under the car-shaped icon for vehicle features? Some automakers seem to think a button for apps makes them seem cool and contemporary. I think features that are easy to find and use are cool and contemporary.

Why can’t Mercedes’ virtual assistant tell me how to adjust vehicle features like those?

Why Buy a 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric?

Forget electric versus internal combustion. The 2027 CLA 250+ Electric is the best new car I’ve driven this year and a strong contender for the best compact sport sedan, period.

2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric at a Glance

Compact electric sport sedan

Rear- or all-wheel-drive hybrid or electric luxury sedan

Seats five

EV on sale now. Hybrid sales begin summer 2026.

Base price: $47,950. All prices exclude a $1,350 destination charge.

Model tested: 2027 CLA 250+ Electric (RWD)

Price as tested: $61,530

Power: Single electric motor on rear axle

Output: 268 horsepower, 248 pound-feet of torque

EPA-estimated battery range: Up to 374 miles

Transmission: Two-speed automatic

Battery size: 85 kilowatt-hours usable

Maximum charging speed: DC, 320 kilowatts; AC, 9.6 kilowatts

Charging time: DC, 10% to 80% in 22 minutes

0 to 60 mph: 6.6 seconds (estimate)

Top speed: 130 mph

Wheelbase: 109.8 inches

Length: 185.9 inches

Width: 73 inches (79 with mirrors)

Height: 57.8 inches

Passenger space: Not available

Cargo space: 11.7 cubic feet (10.3 rear trunk, 1.4 front)

Curb weight: 4,553 pounds

Assembled in Rastatt, Germany