2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Returns In EV Guise: 680hp & 670km Range

German luxury carmaker Mercedes has revealed the new 2026 CLA 45 4MATIC+, replacing the outgoing 2.0-litre turbo-petrol setup with a fully electric powertrain. The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is built on the German marque's CLA electric platform and will be made available to the public as both a sedan and an estate.

The switch to electric power for the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 brings triple-motor axial-flux technology first used in the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe to Merc's entry level electric sedan. The front motor measures 9cm wide; the rear units measure roughly 8cm each.AMG has also added a synthetic sound system built around recordings of the CLA 45 AMG'outgoing four-cylinder engine.

2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45: Powertrain and Performance

The CLA 45 features a triple axial-flux motor setup with two on the rear axle and one on the front. The three motors produce a combined peak output of 680hp while the continuous output is limited to 612hp. The CLA 45 EV pushes out 1,759Nm of peak torque, more than three times the 500Nm figure of the outgoing petrol CLA 45.

The CLA 45's front motor functions as a booster and it is decoupled under low load to cut drag losses. However, it renegages during acceleration or regeneration. The two rear motors are controlled independently for torque vectoring.

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 completes the 0-100km/h in 2.7 seconds with a 1-foot rollout, or 3.0 seconds without it. The top speed is capped at 250km/h but it rises to 270km/h with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package. The CLA 45 offers seven drive modes including Comfort, Sport, Slippery, ECO, Individual, AMGFORCE S+, and a track-oriented RACE mode restricted to the Dynamic Plus package.

The AMGFORCE S+ mode reproduces the sound and vibration of the AMG's four-cylinder engine, built from over 1,600 audio recordings of an AMG A 45 S on a chassis dynamometer, along with simulated gearshifts, seat vibrations and traction cuts during shifts.

The CLA 45's 94kWh lithium-ion battery pack features silicon-oxide anodes and runs on an 800-volt architecture. The battery pack delivers a range of 670km for the sedan and 640km for the estate(bot figures are as per WLTP testing). The CLA 45's battery pack supports peak DC charging speeds of 330kW which charges the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 22 minutes, or adds 270km of range in just 10 minutes. A standard heat pump preconditions the battery using ambient air, powertrain waste heat and battery heat before fast charging.

2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45: Technical Specifications

2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45: Design & Features

The front end of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 features a grille with 10 vertical Panamericana struts, offered with an illuminated option, along with a front splitter integrated into side air curtains and widened front wings.

The Shooting Brake (estate) version gets an active roof-edge spoiler; while the sedan uses an active rear spoiler. Both deploy past 145kph in ECO, Comfort and Sport modes, or immediately in AMGFORCE S+ and RACE. The rear end gets a wide AMG apron and a six-fin diffuser.

The 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 rides on 19-inch wheels shod with 245/40 ZR19 front and 265/40 ZR19 rear tyres, with 20-inch alloy or forged wheels offered as an option. The CLA 45's front brakes use 390mm discs with 6-piston fixed callipers while the rear uses 350mm discs with single-piston floating callipers.

Steo inside and you're greeted by AMG Performance seats, an AMG steering wheel with drive-mode controls, and front seat shakers synced to the AMGFORCE system. Both body styles are strict four-seaters, with a fixed centre console replacing the standard CLA's rear bench.

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45's cabin runs fourth-generation MBUX on Mercedes' MB.OS platform, with AI integration from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini through a voice assistant. Dedicated AMG apps include AMG Performance Menu for real-time power and battery data, AMG Set-Up for customising steering wheel controls and sound profiles, and AMG Track Pace, which logs over 80 vehicle data points ten times per second across pre-loaded circuits including the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps.