End for electric only

This will be the near future of Mercedes-Benz

(Bild: Mercedes-Benz)

This year, Mercedes plans to present its first model, the CLA, which is based on the newly developed MMA platform. A total of five models are planned. Electric drive has priority. But there will also be electrified combustion engines. But the market slump in China is hurting.

More class than mass, higher margins, better image. The luxury strategy that CEO Ola Källenius imposed on Mercedes two years ago is likely to leave its biggest mark on the brand's entry-level segment. The existing range is being rigorously cut back.

Entry-level stop coming later, but it is coming
It will affect models such as the A-Class hatchback and saloon (including the long version for China) as well as the B-Class. Although the model series will continue to be produced until 2026, they will no longer have direct successors - originally, they were supposed to be discontinued this year.

In future, the world of Mercedes cars will begin with a four-door coupé saloon, the CLA (internal code C174). Visually, the Stuttgart-based company is closely following the Concept CLA Class study, which was presented at the IAA in Munich in the fall of 2023. The premiere of the production version, which at around 4.70 meters in length has clearly outgrown the compact segment, is set to take place this year. The market launch is scheduled for 2025.

"Electric only" canceled, drives from China
The technical basis for the CLA is the MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture). The new platform was originally designed to be "electric only", but was then switched to "electric first", as electromobility is not developing as initially expected. The MMA can therefore also be equipped with hybridized combustion engines, exclusively four-cylinder. Mercedes obtains the engines from Geely in China and the vehicles are produced in Rastatt, Germany. Other plants that are being converted to MMA are Kecskemét/Hungary and Beijing/China.

"One-liter car of the electric age"
The electric version of the next CLA will in all likelihood not be called the EQA saloon, but the "CLA with EQ technology", as is already the case with the G 580. An 800-volt system, new cell chemistry, an electric motor developed "in-house" and a very flat battery with a capacity of up to 90 kWh, which is designed to store energy for 400 new kilometers in just 15 minutes, will be used. Charging power: up to 300 kW. Bidirectional charging will be possible. The target for power consumption is twelve kWh/100 km. Mercedes confidently refers to the saloon as the "one-liter car of the electric age". Ranges of around 750 kilometers would therefore not be unrealistic.

The sporty Shooting Brake estate variant is expected to follow the CLA in 2025 - with a technically identical package. In the following year, it would then be the turn of the new generations of the GLA and GLB. Here, the electric versions with the nickname EQ technology will replace the predecessors EQA and EQB. Both SUV models are also likely to be available with all-wheel drive.

However, it is rumored that Mercedes could alternatively launch a CLA crossover instead of the GLB in order to have something in the quiver against the electric bestseller Tesla Model Y. In terms of size and space, the GLB would also be quite close to the number five in the MMA family, the small G model.

The angular journeyman with an off-road look is expected to come onto the market in 2027 and plays a special role in technical terms. This is because the developers are using parts of the MMA and the MB.EA-M. The latter platform is intended for the next C-Class and the GLC, among others.

For the battery, Mercedes intends to use the more cost-effective LFP (lithium iron phosphate) technology wherever possible. The more powerful variants, on the other hand, will be equipped with a nickel-manganese-cobalt battery and enable ranges of around 800 kilometers.

Business in China slumps 
Despite all the model planning, the persistent slump in the Chinese market for luxury cars is making Mercedes-Benz pessimistic about the future. The Group has lowered its forecast for the year as a whole for the second time in two months and now expects a significantly lower profit than a year ago. In particular, weaker demand for profitable top models in China is causing the Stuttgart-based company problems. (SPX)