Electric Mercedes-Benz CLA undercuts hybrid in New Zealand
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Mercedes-Benz has opened New Zealand orders for the new CLA, and the first fully electric version is the cheaper of the two options being offered. The CLA 200 electric starts at $82,000, $11,900 below the all-wheel-drive CLA 220 4MATIC petrol hybrid at $93,900.
Test drives start in December. Both indicative prices include GST and on-road costs, with statutory fees calculated at registration charged separately.
The third-generation CLA sits on a new modular platform designed for both powertrains. The compact four-door won European Car of the Year in January, and Mercedes-Benz quotes a drag coefficient as low as 0.21 for the new shape.
The CLA 200 sends 165kW and 335Nm to the rear wheels through a two-speed transmission. Its battery has 58kWh of usable capacity, with a claimed WLTP range of 470km and combined consumption of 14.4kWh/100km. Mercedes quotes 7.5 seconds from 0–100km/h.
The EV’s 800-volt system supports DC charging at up to 200kW, with a claimed 10–80 per cent time of 20 minutes on a suitable charger. New Zealand cars get a converter as standard so they can also use 400-volt DC chargers.
The CLA 220 4MATIC pairs a 140kW, 300Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with a 48-volt hybrid system. A 22kW motor is built into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and can move the car on electric power alone at low speeds under light loads. Mercedes claims 7.1 seconds to 100km/h and 5.7L/100km combined.
The electric CLA gets a grille with 142 illuminated stars. The hybrid has chrome stars and AMG Line styling. Both come with a fixed panoramic glass roof, heated front seats, wireless phone charging and a 360-degree parking camera.
The CLA debuts Mercedes-Benz’s MB.OS software, which supports over-the-air updates and a voice assistant that draws on ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Bing. Both grades get a 10.25-inch driver display and a 14-inch centre touchscreen.
The hybrid adds the MBUX Superscreen with a 14-inch passenger display, a head-up display and Burmester audio as standard. Those features are part of the $2,100 Premium Package for the electric CLA.
Euro NCAP awarded the electric CLA five stars and named it the highest-scoring car it tested in 2025.
