Summary
The Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ is The Car Expert’s Best Premium Medium Car 2026!
The Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ is a mid-sized electric saloon and estate that went on sale in the UK in Autumn 2025.
Replacing the second-generation CLA range, this EQ line-up is part of the latest third-generation CLA model line-up which also includes hybrid versions which we will cover separately.
Built on the German manufacturer’s latest 800V architecture, the ‘CLA with EQ Technology’ has been given a warm welcome by the British motoring media, picking up two Awards from outlet Parkers after launch with reviewer Keith Adams concluding that the saloon offers “exceptional real-world range, a beautifully finished interior and one of the best infotainment systems currently fitted to a compact EV.”
“Blimey, it’s lovely”, says Electrifying.com’s Tom Barnard. “It really does feel like a much more premium prospect even than a Polestar 2 – never mind a Tesla Model 3.” Top Gear’s Tom Ford describes the sub-£50k EV as a “eminently sensible spaceship”, pointing to the car’s “monster range and dazzling efficiency”, but adds that it lacks driving character, “even for an EV”, concluding that it’s “a bit vanilla to drive”.
As of January 2026, the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 82%. It scores top marks for its media review scores, excellent safety rating and zero tailpipe emissions, while its overall running costs are also good.
- Mercedes-Benz CLA (2019 to 2025) – Expert Rating
- More Mercedes-Benz Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
CLA EQ highlights
- Class-leading battery range and efficiency
- Comfortable and refined driving experience
- Excellent on-board tech
- Well-built, practical interior
CLA EQ lowlights
- Rather cramped rear seats for adults
- Not yet compatible with older 400V chargers
- Some cheaper plastic interior trimmings
- Not all that exciting to drive
Key specifications
Body style: Mid-sized saloon and estate
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £45,615 on-road
Launched: Autumn 2025
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Featured reviews
“The new Mercedes CLA represents a huge step forward for the brand’s electric models, and EVs in general, highlighted by incredible efficiency and range.”
Model reviewed: Saloon range
Score: 9 / 10
Read full review
Auto Express
Jordan Katsianis
“The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a comfortable and posh electric saloon car, but it’s not very spacious inside and its claimed range isn’t very easy to reach.”
Score: 9 / 10
Read full review
Carwow
Mario Christou
More reviews
Auto Trader
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mercedes-Benz CLA is the company’s new electric star. It’s clever, comfortable and capable of over 400 miles on a single charge.”
Read review
Business Car
Score: 9 / 10
“Overall, we would describe the new Mercedes-Benz CLA as a fundamentally good car, transformed by its highly impressive efficiency into a potentially game changing EV – one likely to be much in demand, as the extremely robust expected residual value shows.”
Author: Sean Keywood
Read review
Car
Model reviewed: CLA 250+
Score: 8 / 10
“The CLA 250+ is the electric Mercedes we’ve been waiting for – the first that feels both desirable and genuinely usable. With real-world range of 350-400 miles, it rewrites what’s possible for everyday drivers at this price point, offering genuine long-distance ability without anxiety or compromise. It’s brisk, beautifully composed and so refined at speed that it feels born for motorways.”
Author: Keith Adams
Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Mercedes-Benz CLA loads up a lot of innovate, efficiency-enhancing technology to deliver a useful potential range, allied with the possibility of rapid charging, too. And that styling and interior? Blimey, it’s lovely, and really does feel like a much more premium prospect even than a Polestar 2 – never mind a Tesla Model 3.”
Author: Tom Barnard
Read review
Green Car Guide
Score: 9 / 10
“The Mercedes-Benz CLA has an impressive electric driving range: up to 484 miles, or 462 miles in the case of our test car – which is still excellent, especially for a sub-£50,000 compact family saloon. It also features 320 kW ultra-rapid charging.”
Author: Paul Clarke
Read review
Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“If you can distract yourself from the extremely impressive and headline-grabbing range figure, there’s plenty else to like about the Mercedes CLA EQ, including its comfortable, relaxing drive. We’re less sure about some of the interior design choices, though.”
Read review
Parkers
Score: 9 / 10
“Like the very best Mercedes over the years, the CLA250+ combines excellent ride quality with high levels of roadholding. Quiet and efficient, it’s a compact electric-powered luxury sedan that has a very impressive driving range that should be enough to easily cope with the everyday demands of most British drivers.”
Author: Keith Adams
Read review
The Independent
Score: 8 / 10
“The new CLA feels like Mercedes back to its very best – and it hasn’t been there for a while. I love the way the car drives, the range it offers and the on-board tech. I can take or leave the styling – there are just too many stars on there! But the biggest drawback – for the moment – is the charging compatibility of the 800v platform. I’d wait for my CLA until that issue is fixed next year.”
Author: Steve Fowler
Read review
The Telegraph
Score: 8 / 10
“Will a range of 484 miles finally convince you that EVs have come of age? Mercedes tries to cater for all tastes with its new smallest model.”
Author: Andrew English
Read review
Top Gear
Score: 7 / 10
“An eminently sensible spaceship. AI-infused with monster range and dazzling efficiency, but not exactly fizzing with excitement.”
Author: Tom Ford
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: December 2025
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 94%
Child protection: 89%
Vulnerable road users: 93%
Safety assist: 85%
Additional notes on safety
Euro NCAP rated the Mercedes-Benz CLA as its Best Small Family Car in 2025.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of January 2026, the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the CLA EQ is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 462 miles | A |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 4.8 m/KWh | A |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 41 | D |
The Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ is a relatively affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
The car’s average estimated battery range of 462 miles is excellent when compared to rivals in the mid-sized EV class, thanks to the CLA EQ’s class-leading electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) of 4.8 miles per KWh. As you might expect of a Mercedes-Benz however, the car’s predicted insurance costs are much higher than the average electric car.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of January 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the CLA EQ, we’ll publish the results here.
Warranty rating
New car warranty information for the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ
| Overall rating | B | 76% |
| New car warranty duration | 3 years |
| New car warranty mileage | Unlimited miles |
| Battery warranty duration | 8 years |
| Battery warranty mileage | 100,000 miles |
The Mercedes-Benz new car warranty is better than average, and better than rival brands in a similar price bracket as the CLA EQ.
The duration is three years, with no limit on mileage. In addition to the standard new car warranty, the CLA EQ has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery components.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ
As of January 2026, we are not aware of any DVSA vehicle safety recalls affecting the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ. However, recall information is updated very regularly, so this may have changed.
You can check to see if your car has any outstanding recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Mercedes-Benz dealer.
Awards
Significant UK trophies and awards that the Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ has received
2025
- The Car Expert Awards – Best Premium Medium Car
- European Car of the Year
- Carwow Awards – Outstanding EV Award
- Parkers Awards – Best Company Car + Disruptor of the Year
- Top Gear Awards – Best Saloon
Similar cars
If you’re looking at a new or used Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Audi A6 e-tron | BMW i4 | BYD Seal | DS Nº8 | Genesis GV60 | Hyundai Ioniq 6 | Kia EV6 | MG IM5 | Polestar 2 | Tesla Model 3 | Volkswagen ID.7
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Mercedes-Benz CLA range at The Car Expert
Buy a Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ
If you’re looking to lease a new Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Mercedes-Benz CLA EQ
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
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Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
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Car subscriptions from Just Vehicle Solutions.
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