2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA review

With a fresh face and a bold interior, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA has landed in Australia.

It's the first all-new generation of the German brand's 'junior' mid-size sedan – or coupe, as Mercedes calls it – since 2019, and there's plenty of flashy tech inside plus a controversial new look to distinguish it from its predecessor.

Perhaps more significant is a new hybrid powertrain, and the introduction of fully electric alternatives for the first time. Hybrid versions should be in local customers' driveways within the next month, while the EVs are slated to arrive in July.

The new CLA is also cheaper than before, and a wagon version will return for the first time in a long time later this year, marking Mercedes-Benz's first electric wagon. What's enabled all this, I hear you ask?

Well, the new CLA is built on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture, a platform that can be adapted to either electric or hybrid powertrains. That has helped bring the cost down, and the fact there's now more choice than ever is another huge plus.

It also means it's related to the new GLB mid-size SUV, which is also available with hybrid and electric power. For now, though, we're looking at the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA220 4Matic, the most expensive petrol variant in the new-generation CLA lineup.

Mercedes-Benz invited media on a launch drive through Victoria, after which we held onto the car for another week. Is the CLA hybrid worth the money right now, or should you wait a little longer for the electric CLA to arrive?

How much does the Mercedes-Benz CLA cost?

The CLA220 4Matic is the most expensive petrol-powered CLA currently on sale, priced at $84,300 before on-road costs.

There was no 220 trim in the previous-generation CLA, but the base price for the new CLA range has dropped from $73,200 plus on-roads for the old CLA200, to $66,500 plus ORCs for the new CLA180.

Rivals are limited, especially now that the non-electric BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe is no longer on sale. We can still look to Merc's traditional German rivals though: BMW and Audi.

BMW's closest competitor is the 2 Series Gran Coupe, which entered its current generation in 2025 and is therefore also quite new. Four-door variants top out at $87,700 plus ORCs for the all-wheel drive M235 xDrive.

Audi, meanwhile, still fields the A3 sedan, which has been with us in its current generation since 2021. It tops out at $65,800 plus ORCs for the 150kW S line. It's worth keeping in mind that both the BMW and Audi are roughly 200mm shorter than this new CLA, which is why you might also consider the rear-drive, six-cylinder Genesis G70 Signature Sport at $87,114 plus ORCs.

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What is the Mercedes-Benz CLA like on the inside?

Interior design be damned – who needs a stylish sculpted dashboard when you can have a stadium jumbotron?

In all seriousness, Mercedes' MBUX Superscreen is borderline absurd. It's standard fitment in the CLA220 and optional in all other variants bar the base CLA180, and we found no real need for all three screens in our time with the car.

The smallest of them is the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, which works as well as it needs to. Mercedes-Benz's graphic identity lends it a touch of class, and its overall style and colour scheme are easy on the eye.

Further, there are a handful of trip computer readouts accessible by swiping up or down on the steering wheel's right-hand side directional pad. This, like many of the wheel's other buttons, is piano-black and touch-sensitive, but all are easy enough to use.

The instrument display also has three layouts accessible via left-right swipes, including one with a map display in the background. This level of configurability is plenty, and this screen feels less intimidating as a result.

In the middle of the dashboard is one of two 14.0-inch touchscreens. This is the main control centre of the CLA and, suffice to say, it's a little more cumbersome to navigate than the smaller screen to its right.

It has its fair share of menus and settings to sift through, but it's snappy to interact with and looks sharp. Most of the icons are quite large and therefore easy to see/press while on the move, and there's reliable wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard.

You'll notice the climate system is locked behind a tiny icon on the bottom ribbon, which is always inconvenient. We also find it odd that the car's seat heating controls aren't found in the climate system, but rather in a seat-specific menu alongside position memory. You'll get used to that, but it's a CLA-specific quirk.

Then comes the real party piece: the second 14.0-inch touchscreen on the passenger's side. This is almost completely unnecessary unless you often have a front-seat companion who likes basic video games, and even then, you can't play them while the vehicle is in motion.

You can also watch movies here, utilising the glorious Burmester sound system, but it's still a novelty at best. Most of the other functions this screen houses can just as easily be manipulated via the central infotainment screen, which is no further away.

And there's simply no attempt at design here; the third touchscreen makes for a completely flat panel across the entire dashboard, with little consideration as to how to integrate it stylishly, and it makes the dash look more like a wide-screen TV than a high-tech car interior.

The ambient lighting around the circular air vents and below the screen helps a little, but it's all still a little much. Mercedes-Benz says this is an "intentional minimalist design"... so at least it's on purpose.

All that aside, the interior feels rather premium. Though we've had complaints about the build quality of recent Benz interiors, the CLA feels like it's been bolted together remarkably well – no amount of pushing or pulling could generate any squeaks or wobbles from any surface or fitting. The stalks are a tad flimsy, though.

The key touchpoints also look and feel high-quality. The aluminium-look panels on the centre console and door cards feel cold like real metal, and their dull metallic sheen exudes an understated elegance.

There's synthetic leather on the chunky steering wheel, seat bolsters, and armrests, while the rest of the seats and door cards are finished in synthetic suede. It's all pleasant to the touch, and the seats are comfortable to sit in despite being sportier AMG-Line units, which lack ventilation.

That said, there's still a fair bit of glossy black plastic on key controls, notably the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons and the small ribbon below the central air vents. Being such high-touch areas, these quickly attract smudges and scratches.

You'll also notice some scratchy plastic around the bottom of the door cards, dashboard, and centre console, which looks a bit naff. At least it'll be durable.

Storage up front is decent, with highlights including a large tray with an elastic strap under the centre console, two cupholders up top, and a split-opening central storage box with a small tray inside. Phone charging options are limited to a wireless phone charging pad or two USB-C ports.

One of the best parts of the cabin is undoubtedly the Burmester sound system, which frankly sounds incredible. Even with its out-of-the-box settings, the overall clarity and low-end punch far exceed those of many systems in other luxury cars.

There are four modes to choose from, with tangible differences between each. We found the 'Intense' setting more enjoyable, though there is a plethora of settings to tweak within the customisable 'Individual' mode for all of the Mercedes-buying audiophiles out there.

Plus, it has a neat feature that automatically focuses the sound on different areas of the cabin based on where people are sitting. It uses the seatbelt sensors to do so, which is the level of detail that's commensurate with the money you pay.

The second row is fairly spacious, as expected, given this new CLA is larger than its predecessor and has a wheelbase of nearly 2.8 metres. The result is loads of legroom and, at 173cm, I was able to fit comfortably behind a front seat that was adjusted for someone noticeably taller.

Headroom, however, felt tight. The thin glass roof helps free up some vertical space (thankfully, it'll protect you from UV and other harmful rays from the sun), but taller passengers will feel cramped.

It doesn't help that the roof's edges are quite bulky, either. There's still slightly more room than in the previous CLA, but it's an unfortunate byproduct of the aggressively sloped, coupe-like roofline.

The rear bench is finished in the same fake leather/suede mix and is well-cushioned, and there are rear-facing air vents, two USB-C ports, and a fold-down centre armrest housing cupholders and a simple device holder.

The upshot of that low roofline is that, despite the typical sedan-shaped rear decklid, the boot appears huge. It seems to stretch forever towards the front of the car, and offers loads of space for groceries and luggage.

Yet its 405-litre capacity is smaller than the 430L of the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe because the Merc's load area is shallower. But it's still larger than the Audi A3 sedan's 390L.

A bonus here is the powered bootlid, which is nice to have but always feels unnecessary in anything resembling a sedan. It's operated via the key fob, the rear three-pointed star emblem, or by waving your foot under the rear bumper.

Naturally, a spare wheel has been excluded in favour of a tyre repair kit. Unlike the electric alternative, the CLA hybrid also lacks any under-bonnet storage – for obvious reasons.

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

Powering the new CLA220 4Matic is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine assisted by a transmission-integrated electric motor. Outputs are quoted at 140kW of power and 300Nm of torque, with drive sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Our week with the car began with Mercedes-Benz's short launch drive through Victoria's hilly, twisty east, followed by typical highway commuting and suburban errand-running. The result was an impressively low recorded fuel economy figure.

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How does the Mercedes-Benz CLA drive?

Driving the CLA – at least the hybrid one – leaves a bit to be desired.

That impression starts before you even set off, when you're faced with a mildly confusing start procedure. All the screens will light up once you hop in, and you'll be prompted to press the button on the end of the right-hand column stalk to start the engine... or you can just push the stalk down to Drive, or up to Reverse.

That's weird because it gives you the impression the car is on before you've done anything. Of course, column-mounted gear selectors are nothing new, but that isn't really the issue here. If you look closely at this particular column stalk, you may also realise it has a 'Shift' label on the top.

Instead of steering wheel paddles, Mercedes has opted to make this stalk the manual shifter. You push it towards the front of the car to shift up, and pull it back to go down – who thought this was a good idea? It's awfully unintuitive to use, and makes the manual mode more trouble than it's worth.

The plastic stalk is also thin and feels too flimsy to shift accurately, particularly during spirited driving when you might actually want to shift manually. This is just another instalment in the saga of poorly engineered stalks/gear shifters, I suppose.

Capping that off is the fact the start/stop button on the end of the stalk doubles as the Park button, which means it's impossible to shift to Park without killing the engine. The only workaround I could find is to delicately locate Neutral on the stalk and then manually engage the park brake, which will trigger a warning that the car could roll away.

Once you wrap your head around all that, it's time to set off. But more flaws quickly present themselves once on the move, the most notable being the awkward transition between electric and petrol power.

The CLA hybrid can actually drive itself on electricity alone, provided you don't need more than 22kW of power. Once you exceed that threshold, it'll fire up the petrol engine to provide the power you need.

The only issue is that the car always seems to be surprised when you need more power, waiting for you to demand more than 22kW before even thinking about moving a piston. We understand driving behaviours are nearly impossible to predict, but the result is an uncomfortable dead spot while it shifts from electric to petrol every time you accelerate.

You'll also notice some turbo lag as the engine winds up. Because you're likely to have already pressed the throttle further than normal to get past the electric/petrol pause, this lag means full power can hit quicker than expected. This can make crawling in traffic a chore.

It's a similar story when decelerating. We found it difficult to brake smoothly, for many reasons: the pedal response is vague due to the regenerative/friction braking mix, the switch from petrol back to electric can be quite rough, and there's adaptive regen braking that varies in strength depending on the vehicles in front.

That's all bookended by the dual-clutch auto, a transmission type that already struggles to be smooth at low speed. The result is a car that seems uncomfortable in low-speed environments, which means it isn't all that fun to drive in heavy traffic or carparks.

On the bright side, you can make a game out of trying to drive it on electric power alone. The only way to avoid all of this entirely is to flick it into a different drive mode. All of the above issues apply in both Comfort and Eco modes, but switching to Sport resolves some of them by keeping the engine running at all times.

That negates the powertrain's need to switch between electric and petrol power, and makes it much easier to predict how power will be delivered once you press the throttle. The dual-clutch auto prevents it from ever being flawlessly smooth, but it's certainly much better.

In fact, once everything comes together under the bonnet, the CLA is fairly enjoyable to drive. Power delivery is strong without being outstanding, and the gearbox feels snappy when you're hauling up to freeway speeds in a hurry – the CLA hybrid feels much more at home on highways and country roads.

There are four fake engine sounds to choose from – including completely off. I'm not usually a fan of synthesised engine noises, but I found one of the more pronounced ones here fairly enjoyable. Even if it sounds far beefier than a 1.5-litre four ever should, it's nice to hear something when cruising around.

Nicely complementing that, the handling of the new CLA is a highlight. It won't challenge a real AMG or any of its high-performance German brethren, but it's more than capable of holding its own on a twisty road.

That's true even in Comfort mode, and in any setting you'll struggle to push the car beyond its limits. It feels slightly sharper in Sport mode, likely because the CLA200 and CLA220 incorporate a ride height-lowering function intended to lower the car's centre of gravity. It's only subtle and doesn't make the car feel meaningfully stiffer because there's no adaptive damping system, but it helps.

Its natural damping is certainly on the stiffer side, though it isn't bone-shattering. We actually found it quite comfortable on rough Victorian roads, with Comfort mode soft but controlled, and Sport mode sharper but still capable of soaking up bumps well.

The only ride-related issue is that the front-end seems to scrape on everything. Speed bumps and hairpin bends with a sharp drop compress the front suspension to the point where the front of the car briefly contacts the pavement.

A quick visual inspection indicated the contact was happening at the lowest point of the car's plastic undertray, rather than the chromed bumper lip. Still, it's one of few cars I've had such an issue in, and I own a lowered Japanese coupe!

The steering communicates just enough info from the front wheels to feel confident in Sport mode. It's not the most 'alive' setup ever, but for a sporty sedan, it's appropriate.

In normal driving, the steering errs on the lighter side. This aids manoeuvrability in urban environments and generally makes for easier cruising, without the tiller feeling too flimsy.

We're also impressed with the CLA's cabin refinement. It's very quiet, even on the 19-inch wheels fitted to the 220. It's easy to have a conversation without yelling at your passengers, and it really lets the Burmester sound system shine the way we described earlier.

Safety tech is another thing Mercedes-Benz always seems to get right, and it's no different here. The CLA's driver assistance functions are reliable and well-calibrated.

Cruise control does well to adapt and react to traffic around you, while the lane-keep system only pipes up if you're genuinely close to the lane markings. We had no issue with driver attention monitors or the like, either.

Yes, it's still annoying to have to fine-tune some of these settings (along with others, such as the fake engine noises) by delving into the infotainment system, but at least they are adjustable if needed. Not that you're likely to have to make any changes.

The cherry on top is a neat, Tesla-esque display of everything around the car that can be shown on the instrument screen while driving, plus a handy self-parking feature that works well (if not slowly) if you're too lazy to do it yourself.

Oh, and the CLA220 is fitted with phenomenal automatic high-beam headlights. I'm not usually a fan of auto high-beam, but the way this system quickly and accurately shields cars ahead is unreal – and the way the beam turns on and off like a curtain opening and closing is very satisfying.

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

What do you get?

There are four grades of the new CLA available in Australia.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA180 equipment highlights:

• Mild-hybrid powertrain
• Comfort suspension
• 18-inch AMG five-spoke black alloy wheels
• Tyre repair kit
• Auto LED headlights
• Illuminated front grille
• LED tail-lights
• Full-width front and rear light bars
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power-folding, heated side mirrors with position memory
• Sports steering wheel
• Comfort seats
• 'Artico' synthetic leather upholstery
• Power front seats with lumbar and position memory
• Heated front seats
• 10.25-inch digital instrument display
• 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB+ digital radio
• Bluetooth
• AI-powered voice assistant
• Wireless phone charger
• Facial recognition
• Single-zone climate control
• Interior ambient lighting
• Black headliner
• Panoramic glass roof

CLA200 adds:

• Electric option (rear-wheel drive)
• AMG Line exterior styling
• 'Sporty engine sound'
• AMG floor mats
• Nappa leather-wrapped sports steering wheel
• Sports seats
• 'Artico' synthetic leather and 'Microcut' synthetic suede upholstery
• Light carbon-grain aluminium interior accents
• Dual-zone climate control

CLA220 4Matic adds:

• All-wheel drive
• 19-inch AMG five-twin-spoke black alloy wheels
• 'Multibeam' LED headlights
• Full-width rear LED light bar
• Head-up display
• MBUX Superscreen:
• • 10.25-inch digital instrument display
  • 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
  • 14.0-inch touchscreen passenger display
• 16-speaker Burmester surround-sound system
• Sound personalisation
• Illuminated door sill scuff plates
• Rear privacy glass

CLA350 4Matic adds:

• Electric powertrain (all-wheel drive)
• Removes 16-speaker Burmester surround-sound system

Options

A handful of options are available for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA.

Premium Package ($1800 CLA200, $2340 CLA350) adds:

• Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
• Illuminated door sills
• Head-up display
• MBUX Superscreen
• 16-speaker Burmester surround-sound system
• Hands-free keyless start

The Premium Package is standard on the CLA220.

Additionally, the following accessories can be optioned for the CLA200 for $1200:

• 19-inch AMG five-twin-spoke black alloy wheels
• Rear privacy glass

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA safe?

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA has yet to be ssessed by ANCAP and is therefore unrated locally. It did, however, earn a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP following crash testing conducted in 2025.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 8 airbags, incl:
• • Driver
  • Passenger
  • Driver's knee
  • Front-centre
  • Side
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver attention monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Safe exit warning
• Surround-view monitor
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

How much does the Mercedes-Benz CLA cost to run?

Mercedes-Benz Australia backs its model range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing for the CLA hybrid is required every 12 months or 25,000km, whichever comes first, with pricing covered by prepaid plans (see below).

For context, service pricing for the CLA electric is cheaper, though the intervals are the same. The three-year plan costs $2455, the four-year plan $3620, and the five-year plan $4295.

As for rivals, BMW offers a five-year prepaid service plan for the 2 Series Gran Coupe priced at $2470. Audi offers a plan of the same duration for the A3 that costs $2520.

Suffice to say that Mercedes-Benz service costs are still as pricey as ever.

To see how the Mercedes-Benz CLA stacks up against the competition, use our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Mercedes-Benz CLA220 Hybrid

While there's a lot to like about the new CLA, it's fundamentally flawed – at least in 220 trim.

Starting with the positive, we like how its interior appears well put together, and that its key touchpoints all feel high-quality and luxurious. The sporty AMG-Line seats, with their faux leather and suede upholstery, are a highlight, and we quite like the proportions of the leather-wrapped tiller.

It's comfortable and practical inside, with plenty of space in the second row and boot despite the sloping rear roofline. Those things matter in a sedan-shaped car that isn't pitched as a hot performance model.

Then there's the ride, handling, and refinement. We thoroughly enjoyed driving the CLA on country roads, and its suspension tune impressed us with its ability to soak up bumps while still staying sharp in the corners.

It's also relaxing to drive a car that's as quiet as this one is, even with the large-ish 19-inch alloys. We also liked being able to dial up the fake engine noise when we wanted, and it wasn't nearly as grating as expected.

But it's difficult to get past the enormous, slabby dashboard. There's just no finesse about it, even in the CLA220, where the three-screen setup is standard. All other variants get a blank glossy panel in front of the passenger unless you opt for the over-the-top Superscreen.

We never quite got to grips with the hybrid powertrain, either. It's almost always rough when switching from electric to petrol power, or vice versa, so much so that it's more enjoyable to just leave it in Sport mode so the engine doesn't switch off.

While that's disappointing, we can give the CLA brownie points for being impressively economical, which proves the annoyance of its constant electric/petrol switching isn't all for nothing.

All said, the CLA220 hybrid is just fine, but its price and imperfections probably make the cheaper CLA200 hybrid a better pick. Like us, however, you may be keen to see what the electric alternative is like when it arrives in the coming months.

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