Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ electric launched in Malaysia, RM274,888 with up to 792 km range

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has officially launched the all-new electric CLA, and there is only one variant: the CLA 250+ electric, priced at RM274,888 on the road without insurance for Peninsular Malaysia, with a four-year manufacturer warranty.

When order books opened back in January, the estimated price floating around was RM295,888. The car has landed roughly RM21,000 under that, which is not a small gap for a car imported from Germany in a year where the duty-free window for CBU EVs has already closed.

Also Read: New Mercedes-Benz GLA: 5 things you needs to know about Germany's new compact SUV

For context, a BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport is RM294,800, while a Tesla Model 3 Premium Long Range RWD sits at RM185,000. The CLA is pitched squarely between the German establishment and the value play, which is exactly where Mercedes needs it to work.

A genuinely new car, not a rebodied one

This third-generation CLA (chassis code C174) is the first model on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture, or MMA, and it runs an 800-volt electrical architecture. The single rear motor makes 272 hp and 335 Nm, good for 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and a 210 km/h top speed. The usable battery is 85 kWh.

The headline figures are range and charging. Mercedes quotes 673 to 792 km on the WLTP cycle, and up to 325 km of range recovered in ten minutes at a DC station, with peak charging of 320 kW.

Read the fine print though: the ten-minute claim is measured at 500-amp DC fast chargers, so you will need to find the right hardware to see anything close to it.

The 792 km figure is also the top of the WLTP band, not the bottom. In Malaysian heat with the aircon working properly, plan on the lower end of that spread and treat anything above it as a bonus.

Even so, the lower figure of 673 km is a lot of car park for a compact fastback.

The more interesting engineering story is the two-speed transmission on the rear axle, which is unusual in this class. First gear runs a short 11:1 ratio for pull-away and city work, while second gear (5:1) handles highway cruising and is where top speed is achieved.

Shift points vary with the drive mode and are continuously adjusted by an online optimiser tied to battery state, power draw and driver input.

Power goes through claws in first and discs in second. It is a proper attempt at solving the usual single-speed EV compromise between low-speed shove and high-speed efficiency, rather than a marketing gimmick.

Underneath, there is a steel-sprung comfort suspension with a newly developed three-link front axle using forged aluminium arms and a cast aluminium steering knuckle, plus a new multi-link rear axle borrowed in concept from larger Mercedes models. No air suspension here.

MB.OS, and a car that talks back

The CLA is the first Mercedes to run entirely on the in-house Mercedes-Benz Operating System. Mercedes describes it as the cleverest Mercedes-Benz ever made, which is the kind of line you would expect from a launch release, but the substance behind it is real enough: MB.OS controls infotainment, body and comfort, and driving and charging, and it enables over-the-air updates across the entire vehicle software stack, driver assistance systems included.

The fourth-generation MBUX rides on top of it, and this is where things get unusual. Mercedes says it is the first in-car infotainment system to combine AI from both Microsoft and Google in one system.

The MBUX Virtual Assistant handles multi-turn conversation, keeps short-term memory, leans on ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing for general knowledge, and switches to Google's Automotive AI Agent for navigation and points of interest.

Navigation itself is built on Google Maps, wrapped in a Mercedes interface, with Navigation with Electric Intelligence planning charging stops into the route.

There is also an emotion-reading party trick. The star-shaped avatar on the display changes colour based on the mood it detects in your voice, blue by default, green when it thinks you are happy, orange or red for anger or sadness. Whether Malaysian buyers use that daily or switch it off in week two is another question.

Inside, the dashboard is dominated by the MBUX Superscreen: a single glass surface housing a 10.25-inch driver display and two 14-inch central and passenger screens.

The centre console sits high and appears to float, with a double cupholder and wireless charging pad in anthracite anodised-look trim.

AMG Line seats come with ARTICO man-made leather and MICROCUT microfibre, and the recycled-material story runs deep, with PET-derived yarns in the upholstery backing and Econyl floor coverings.

Bigger, and it finally has a frunk

At 4,723 mm long the new CLA is about four centimetres longer than before, with the wheelbase up by more than 60 mm to 2,790 mm.

Front occupants get 11 mm more legroom, and headroom improves by 16 mm in front and 28 mm at the rear thanks to the higher roofline and the one-piece fixed panoramic glass roof, which has no central brace and no roller blind.

Heat management is handled by an infrared-reflecting film on the outside and a low-emissivity coating on the inside. Given where we live, that coating is doing more work here than it ever will in Stuttgart.

This is also the first modern Mercedes with a frunk, at 101 litres, with 405 litres in the boot behind.

Design-wise, it is the shark-nose front end with the illuminated Mercedes-Benz pattern grille, 142 chrome-effect stars and an animated greeting sequence, MULTIBEAM LED headlights with star-shaped DRLs, frameless doors, flush retractable handles, 19-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke wheels and a GT-style rear with connected star taillights. Kerb weight is 2,055 kg, which is the price of the battery.

Safety kit includes a centre airbag between the front occupants, which Mercedes says is a first for the segment, along with MB.DRIVE Standard, MB.DRIVE PARKING ASSIST 360 and VISION CONTROL.

MB.CHARGE Public launches alongside it

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has also introduced MB.CHARGE Public, which folds charging discovery, authentication and payment into the Mercedes-Benz App and MBUX.

It works with seven local charge point operators: CarputZap, Charge+, ChargeSini, chargEV, DC Handal, Gentari and JomCharge, covering what Mercedes describes as more than 3,000 charging points across over 1,000 locations.

The useful parts are practical. MBUX shows only chargers compatible with your car along with real-time availability, prices per kWh or per minute are displayed before you plug in, and billing is cashless through a single account with no subscription per operator.

Mercedes states there is no markup, so you pay the operator's prevailing rate. It also works across the Causeway, with access to Charge+, CDG Energy, SP Group and Volt networks in Singapore on the same billing.

It is available on both all-electric and plug-in hybrid Mercedes models, not just the CLA.

What else is coming

The new S-Class facelift and the all-new electric GLC are now open for pre-booking, with the GLC carrying an estimated RM370,000 to RM400,000 price range.

The first 100 customers who pre-book either the electric CLA or the electric GLC get passes to the upcoming Mercedes-AMG F1 party.

"We are excited to officially launch the highly anticipated all-new electric CLA in Malaysia. Recognised as Car of the Year 2026, the all-new electric CLA demonstrates how Mercedes-Benz continues to push the boundaries of efficiency, intelligence, and design. With its impressive electric range, rapid charging capability, and the introduction of MB.OS, it brings together technologies that redefine what customers can expect from a vehicle in this segment. At the same time, its distinctive design and refined interior bring a strong sense of emotion and sophistication to this advanced electric vehicle. The all-new electric CLA represents an important step in our electric journey and we are confident it will set a new benchmark for the electric era. And this is only the beginning. With the new S-Class and all-new electric GLC now open for pre-booking, we are equally excited to introduce what comes next for our customers in Malaysia."

Nadia Trimmel, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mercedes-Benz Cars Malaysia

Financing

Agility+ by Mercedes-Benz starts from RM2,988 per month for the CLA 250+ electric, bundling a fifth-year Star Gold extended limited warranty, four Compact Service Packages, Guaranteed Future Value and the MobilityPlus replacement-car programme.

Should you buy one?

If you want a premium EV that can do KL to Penang and back on one charge without planning your life around chargers, the CLA 250+ makes a strong case, and RM274,888 is more competitive than the January estimate suggested. The two-speed gearbox and 800V architecture are real engineering answers to real EV problems, not spec-sheet padding.

The caveats are the usual ones. There is only one variant, so no CLA 350 4Matic for anyone wanting the extra motor. The peak charging figure needs infrastructure that is still thin on the ground here. And MB.OS is brand new software in its first production car, which cuts both ways: it will get better over the air, but early adopters do the finding out.

Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ electric specifications

Price is on the road without insurance, with 10% sales tax.

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz Agility+ in Malaysia: what the FLEX campaign actually gets you