Mercedes lifts the covers on its new electric CLA, replete with AI assistant

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA began its journey to the showrooms as the Concept CLA Class unveiled at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich. Unlike many conceptual forays, Mercedes claimed the Concept CLA was pretty representative of the car it previewed, and so it has come to pass.

The CLA is a mid-size sedan, essentially an A-Class with a boot. Notable from the outset for its more curvaceous, coupé-like proportions, it was compact, classy and desirable, going some way to re-boot the company’s rich heritage in the mass luxury segment. New CLA retains those attributes but doubles down on the aspect most likely to appeal to the youthful buyer: technology.

At the CLA’s core is the fourth generation of MBUX, the in-car operating system that drives the latest generation of dashboard-spanning screens. We first saw this Hyperscreen in the electric-only EQS and EQE, and while the basic principle is the same, the CLA scales down the acknowledged excesses of having a completely flat, button-free surface.

The CLA’s answer is the Superscreen, powered by Unity 3D gaming software. More self-contained than the original Hyperscreens, it’s still a pretty sizeable display, made all the more OS-like by the inclusion of apps and folders. Analogue addicts will welcome the retention of buttons for elements like volume control.

The other digital diversion on offer is the new MBUX Virtual Assistant. Mercedes is the latest company to get on board with ChatGPT and adopt a generative AI agent for in-car use. Promising to ‘revolutionise the relationship between vehicle and driver,’ you’ll be able to have a continuous dialogue with the car and it’ll even ‘remember’ previous queries and requests (presumably along the lines of ‘navigate to the restaurant I visited last Thursday’). Google Maps is also integrated, which can be instructed using Google Cloud’s Automotive AI Agent.

All this youthful zip and vigour was evident in the influencer-heavy launch event and the high-profile light projections that announced the car’s arrival last week. The debut model in the latter case is the all-electric CLA, but in another departure for the brand, the model arrives in both ICE and EV formats. The former arrives first, with ultra-fast charging (325km/200miles can be added in just ten minutes) and impressive range (up to 792km/492miles).

A big battery is obviously needed; combining the weight of this 85kWh unit with all the tech bells and whistles and you get a pretty hefty car. The 48-volt hybrid model that’ll follow later in the year, available as either front or all-wheel drive, should be more in line with what you’d expect for a car of this size.

Regardless of the powertrain, all CLA’s will be teeming with bling, from the illuminated grille (which includes 142 individually animated LED chrome-effect stars) to the ambient lighting crammed into every nook and cranny of the cabin (so much so that ‘ambient’ is starting to lose its meaning). A panoramic roof brings in much needed daylight.

We’ll be getting behind the wheel of the new CLA in due course.

Mercedes-Benz CLA, available soon, Mercedes-Benz.co.uk