With its broad-based model offensive, Mercedes-Benz is trying to overcome the ongoing crisis with falling profits and sales figures. The opening took place a year ago with the introduction of the electric coupe sedan CLA, which CEO Ola Kllenius described as the beginning of a new era. More than 40 new or revised models will arrive by 2027, especially to expand the electric product range.
At the center of this strategy is the CLA, as the first model of the new generation. Industry experts see this as a decisive test case for the attack’s success. Demand is particularly strong in Germany, followed by Great Britain and Belgium… Industry experts view this development as positive, given a challenging market environment.
The company itself is also optimistic. According to Chief Sales Director Mathias Geisen, the all-electric CLA clearly exceeds expectations and orders extend into the second half of 2026. Production at the Rastatt plant is already running in three shifts to meet high demand.
But CLA plays a role not only as a volume model, but also technologically. It is the first vehicle based on Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), designed primarily for electric cars, and is also the first to use the MB model. It was in the OS development center. The final platform enables integrated navigation via Google Maps and the integration of automatic and autonomous driving functions. At the same time, Mercedes has made a design change with the new CLA and is returning to a uniform design language for electric and combustion models.
In the future in China, Mercedes is focusing more on other models such as the upcoming electric E-Class and the next-generation GLC SUV, which has already been launched as an electric vehicle. According to CEO Kllenius, these offers are really important.
In the long term, electrification remains the key goal. However, the share of electric cars in 2025 was only ten percent. By the end of the decade, around 40 percent of new vehicles are expected to have electric or hybrid drive, compared to just under 19 percent currently.
Automobile Magazine – English
