First electric Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 revealed with 500kW, confirmed for Australia

The all-electric 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4Matic+ has been unveiled globally in both four-door sedan and Shooting Brake (wagon) body styles, packing a three-motor all-wheel drive powertrain producing 500kW – accompanied by piped-in engine sounds and gear shifts – and a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 3.0 seconds.

Mercedes-AMG's first battery-powered CLA is based on the third-generation Mercedes-Benz small car introduced earlier this year in both electric and hybrid forms, and will enter production later this year.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed the CLA 45 sedan will arrive in local showrooms in 2027, but is yet to announce precise release timing, local equipment levels, or pricing. It has told CarExpert the Shooting Brake is under consideration for this market.

Looking for your next car? We'll help you research and compare so you choose with confidence.

The new CLA 45 could cost around the same as the previous petrol model – which was priced at $129,900 before on-road costs – given non-AMG electric versions of the new CLA were priced close to their petrol predecessors when launched here earlier this year.

The fresh CLA brings larger dimensions for both body styles, with the sedan and Shooting Brake riding on a 61mm-longer (2790mm) wheelbase and measuring 4742mm long, 1859mm wide and 1471mm tall – increases of 49mm, 2mm and 62mm, respectively.

As the flagship performance model, the CLA 45 features an AMG-specific front-end design including a unique grille with a horizontal light bar, plus AMG front and rear bumpers, and pumped-up wheel-arches wrapped around 19-inch alloy wheels as standard.

An illuminated grille will be optional in some overseas markets.

Six-piston front and single-piston rear brake calipers are standard, clamping 390mm and 350mm rotors respectively, while an optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package adds either red-painted calipers with black AMG lettering or black calipers with white lettering.

Based on the same 800-volt Mercedes Modular Architecture as non-AMG CLA models (and the upcoming GLB mid-size SUV), the battery-powered AMG version is powered by the same axial-flux electric motors as the 300km/h Mercedes-AMG GT four-door unveiled in May.

The new CLA 45 produces substantially more power than before, with peak outputs of 500kW and 1759Nm comfortably eclipsing the previous model's 310kW/500Nm figures from its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.

This enables a claimed 3.0-second 0-100km/h time, making it more than a second quicker to the national highway limit than the petrol model it replaces (4.1 seconds), despite weighing a lot more – 2295kg compared with its predecessor's 1687kg.

Mercedes-AMG also quoted a 2.7-second 0-100km/h sprint with a one-foot (30.5cm) rollout, as well as a 250km/h top speed, increasing to 270km/h with the optional Dynamic Plus Package.

Adding to the experience, there's also "original combustion sound", including gear shift "interruptions" when in AMGFORCE S+ mode, accompanied by standard seat shakers to "deliver authentic vibrations" and mimic an internal combustion engine.

Mercedes-AMG said the sounds are not synthetic, having used 13 microphones to record the previous A45 S hatchback's turbo four to create a petrol engine-like soundtrack for the electric powertrain.

The CLA 45 uses advanced axial-flux technology for its three electric motors – one on the front axle and two on the rear axle – which are lighter and more compact than conventional motors, and housed in a 'sandwich' layout to save space

The two motors on the rear axle share the same housing, which also incorporates a single-speed gearbox. These, along with the front motor, are oil-cooled to maintain repeatable performance levels and minimise degradation.

The front motor effectively acts as a "boost motor", delivering up to 225kW, but it can also be disconnected to make the CLA 45 rear-wheel drive, or vice-versa.

Torque vectoring maximises power delivery and traction across all four wheels, as well as between individual wheels on the same axle, which Mercedes-AMG says is "situation based".

The electric powertrain includes a 94kWh lithium-ion battery, providing a claimed 640km driving range (WLTP) for the sedan and 670km for the Shooting Brake.

Charging is possible at up to 22kW AC and 330kW DC, enabling a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in as little as 22 minutes, while a 10-minute charge can add up to 270km of driving range, says AMG.

Helping both performance and efficiency are aerodynamic drag coefficients of 0.23Cd for the coupe and 0.26Cd for the Shooting Brake. An active rear spoiler is standard on the sedan's boot lid and the wagon's roof edge.

The spoiler angle changes depending on the selected drive mode and can also be adjusted via the steering wheel.

There are six driving modes – Eco, Slippery, Comfort, Sport, AMGFORCE S+ and Individual – while the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package adds Race mode.

Each of these modes alters the rack-and-pinion steering, suspension, throttle response, stability control, and regenerative braking.

Mercedes-Benz's MB.OS operating system enables individual tuning of each element, regardless of the selected driving mode.

The CLA 45 has an AMG-specific chassis tune featuring three-link forged aluminium front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, while the adaptive dampers offer Comfort, Sport and AMGFORCE S+ settings.

The cabin features AMG seats trimmed in a combination of Artico leather-look upholstery and genuine Nappa leather in black, beech brown or black with green accents, plus contrasting stitching throughout. Options include red seatbelts.

The AMG steering wheel is joined by stainless steel-faced sports pedals and a panoramic glass roof as standard.

Race mode is accompanied by AMG-specific apps and an AMG Performance Menu on the 14.0-inch MBUX Superscreen, which Mercedes-Benz has yet to confirm for Australian models, and which is artificial intelligence (AI) compatible via ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini.

MORE: Explore the Mercedes-AMG CLA showroom