ACars with internal combustion engines and plugs have fallen into disrepute. They are only bought because of the tax advantages and the charging cable is usually lying around unused in the trunk, is popular with rumors. But that doesn’t have to be the case, especially the galloping gasoline prices make electric driving more and more interesting.
In the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 e it is also tucked into a chic dress, many like the coupé-like, four-door sedan, and we were often given a thumbs up. Technically, the CLA belongs to the A-Class, but the built-in gasoline engine lets you pause for a moment: only 1.33 liters displacement, but at least four cylinders. 160 hp are offered, 102 hp from the electric motor, which is also located at the front under the bonnet. As a team, both have 218 hp and a fine torque of 450 Newton meters. But the electric motor on its own also drives the CLA with satisfactory performance; it is not a lame duck in solo operation. Because the battery has a gross capacity of 15.6 kWh, a range of almost 80 kilometers can be expected according to the standard.
In fact, we once managed 61, when the days got colder, it was only around 50. Thus, the CLA consumes a minimum of around 21 kWh per 100 kilometers, purely electrically. If you charge at home for 30 cents per unit, 100 kilometers then cost 6.30 euros. In order to keep up, a combustion engine should not consume more than four liters. However, we were unable to reduce consumption in the CLA to less than 5.6 liters per 100 kilometers. The average – always driven with an empty battery – was 6.8 liters, which seems good considering the engine power. The battery is charged at the domestic socket in around six hours, and it can take up 12.8 kWh net.
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Mercedes CLA 250e
Enough of the arithmetic games, and electricity will probably get more expensive too. Incidentally, the CLA throws everything into the balance that defines a modern Mercedes in 2021, the excellent MBUX multimedia system, the modern cockpit with the wide TFT flat screen, the very good workmanship and the many intelligent assistance systems. However, these often demand a premium, and the star bearers have never been special offers. The list price of the test car in matt gray was 42,453 euros, with extras for more than 17,400 euros.
Instead, there is the pretty sedan, which is particularly narrow in the rear and whose trunk is also somewhat restricted by the batteries in the rear. The volume is only 395 liters. The 4.69 meter long CLA has a rather hard suspension, it drives precisely, but sometimes struggles to bring the high torque directly to the road, the front-wheel drive sends its regards. The biggest drawback, however, is the sometimes noisy 1.3-liter engine when this is required. That doesn’t go with a Mercedes.
If you want, you can accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 6.8 seconds, the top speed is 240 km / h. It is only 140 km / h purely electrically. It feels unusual that the shift points of the eight-speed automatic can be felt in E-mode. The level of recuperation can be adjusted using the shift paddles, as is the case with many purely electric cars. The good thing is that you can keep the battery level if you want to go into town with electricity after a long journey.
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