- The Mercedes-Benz CLA is the company’s smallest and lowest-priced EV in North America.
- In a 70 mph range test, the four-door car blew way past its EPA-rated range of 312 miles.
- It managed to eke out 4.44 miles per kilowatt-hour from its 85-kWh pack.
Mercedes-Benz’s littlest EV is actually one of its most impressive. The new 2027 Mercedes CLA-Class sedan absolutely crushed its EPA-rated range in Tom Moloughney’s latest 70 mph highway range test by going 385 miles between fill-ups.
The CLA packs a decently big battery for being the smallest electric Merc on sale in North America: 85 kWh. But it isn’t just the big battery that gives the Mercedes such an impressive range. It’s also quite efficient. At the end of Moloughney’s test for his State of Charge YouTube channel, he saw an average of 4.44 miles per kilowatt-hour. That’s far beyond what it’s supposed to be capable of.
According to the EPA, the all-wheel drive Mercedes CLA 350 4Matic has 312 miles of range, considerably less than the single-motor rear-wheel drive model’s 374-mile range. Since Moloughney’s test car was an all-wheel drive 4Matic model, it beat what the EPA says it can do by a whopping 73 miles—and did it all on the highway at 70 mph. Moloughney isn’t alone, either, as Car and Driver’s 75 mph highway test saw 340 miles.
It wasn’t like he did anything to give the Merc a boost, either, like messing with tire pressures or driving in especially good conditions. He filled the tires to Mercedes’ recommendations and did the test in the summer on the New Jersey Turnpike. If anything, the Turnpike’s horrific road surface, with its tire-destroying craters and loads of potholes patches, should be a detriment to an EV’s range.
Photo by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs
Also interesting is that the CLA’s efficiency didn’t really drop off as the battery depleted. For the first 95 miles, it was averaging 4.50 mi/kWh. For the next 100 miles, it actually improved to 4.52 mi/kWh. The next 95 miles were at 4.46, and then it finished the final 95 miles at 4.44. Mercedes poured a ton of effort into the CLA’s efficiency, like using silicone carbide inverters and a two-speed gearbox. Fortunately for the Germans, that effort seems to have paid off. The CLA is a seriously efficient EV, up there with some of the most energy-sipping cars.
The Lucid Air has proven to get around 5.0 mi/kWh, and the Tesla Model 3 has managed 4.6 mi/kWh in Edmunds‘ testing. But the little Merc has is now among the most efficient EVs on the market and comes in at a relatively affordable price, with the 350 4Matic starting at $51,950. Considering the luxury and range you get, I’d say that’s a pretty good value.
