Mercedes is getting ready to unveil the all-new CLA in electric and ICE flavors. While the company has decided to cut down the number of its compact models, the fastback sedan will soon be joined by a Shooting Brake version, with the first camouflaged prototype making its spy debut in Europe.

Back in September 2023, Mercedes announced that its compact lineup would include the successors of the CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, GLA, and GLB, but not those of the A-Class and B-Class models. The CLA Shooting Brake is probably the most interesting in terms of styling, as it will keep combining the sleek design of the sedan with the practicality of a wagon body for a third generation.

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The pictured prototype has camouflage only on the front and rear ends. The front section will be shared with the regular CLA, including the low-mounted grille and the aggressive headlights with star-shaped LEDs. The same applies to the flush door handles on the profile, although the greenhouse and the roofline have been redesigned.

In this particular prototype, Mercedes has applied aluminum trim around the windows and on the slim roof rails, with the latter being another means of differentiation from the four-door version. Of course, the highlight of the Shooting Brake is the design of the rear end. The new generation adopts new LED taillights with oval-shaped graphics and an even smaller rear window.

Inside, the new CLA family will benefit from a digital cockpit running the latest MB.OS software with AI technology. The Shooting Brake is expected to offer a larger boot, together with a few more inches of headroom compared to the fastback sedan.

Hybrid And EV Options

Mercedes’ entire compact lineup will ride on the MMA architecture, which is compatible with both ICE and EV powertrains. Luckily, Mercedes has already detailed the powertrains of the CLA, giving us a good idea of what to expect from the CLA Shooting Brake

The zero-emission CLA will offer the option between a rear electric motor with 268 hp (200 kW), or an all-wheel-drive version adding a 107 hp (80 kW) motor at the front. Energy will be stored in battery packs with a capacity of 58 kWh or 85 kWh, allowing a claimed range of up to 750 km (466 miles). Given that the Shooting Brake has an aerodynamic body, it will likely achieve something close to this number.

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The hybrid lineup will include a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in 134 hp (136 PS), 161 hp (163 PS), and 188 hp (190 PS) versions, assisted by a 27 hp (20 kW) electric motor integrated within an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The hybrid CLA is also expected to be offered with optional all-wheel drive, or 4Matic in Mercedes Land.

According to our sources, the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year. The market launch of the model is scheduled for early 2026. In total, Mercedes has pledged to unveil 36 new models by 2027.

Baldauf

Mercedes recently announced plans for a slew of new and updated models including 17 EVs and 19 vehicles with an internal combustion engine. The company didn’t go into specifics, but confirmed plans for a redesigned GLC as well as facelifted versions of the GLE, GLS, and S-Class. There will also be an electric E-Class and a ‘baby’ G-Class.

That’s a lot of product, but a new report suggests Mercedes-AMG is working on an electric supercar concept. According to Autocar, the one-off model aims to redefine ‘electric performance’ and showcase future performance capabilities.

More: Mercedes Teases Baby G-Class, Electric E-Class, And More, V8 And V12 Live On

As a company insider explained, “Where the EQXX aimed to go the furthest, this aims to go the fastest. It will be the fastest-accelerating car AMG has ever produced.”

Additional details are limited, but it sounds like the car could borrow some cues from the One-Eleven concept, which debuted in 2023. The publication went on to say the model will preview the company’s next-generation electric powertrain technology including axial-flux motors. The latter are slated to show up in production models including a new high-performance crossover.

Mercedes One-Eleven Concept

We can also expect the latest battery technology and this could mean a solid state unit. This doesn’t sound too far-fetched as Mercedes recently began testing a modified EQS with a solid state battery that delivers up to 621 miles (1,000 km) of range.

Besides mentioning the concept, the publication said the redesigned CLA will debut next month and be followed by the CLA Shooting Brake. The redesigned GLB is slated to arrive in late 2025, while the closely related “g-Class” will reportedly be launched in 2027.

The latter will reportedly be based on the MMA platform and the publication suggested there could be single and dual-motor variants. This would be a tad surprising as the G-Class is known for being a capable off-roader, but the baby G will reportedly be more focused on luxury.

Furthermore, in 2026, Mercedes will reportedly unveil a “comprehensively” revamped EQS that will adopt the S-Class name. It will reportedly ride on the MB:EA Large platform, however previous reports had suggested development on the platform had stopped and it was going to be scrapped all together.

Mercedes says it will cut production costs over the next two years while at the same time, it will roll out almost 40 new or heavily revised models in an effort to reverse its fortunes. The automaker expects earnings to take a big hit in 2025 and thinks a renewed focus on traditional combustion power could help stop the slide.

It wasn’t long ago that Mercedes was vowing to go EV-only in major markets by 2030, but terrible sales figures for many of its electric cars has prompted a major rethink. The brand isn’t turning its back on EVs by any means – 17 of the new models it will launch by 2027 will be battery-powered. But 19 of the new cars will have combustion power and live on well into the 2030s.

Related: Customers Pull The Plug On Mercedes EV Sales, EQS Plummets 52%

This time, however, there will be very little design differentiation between ICE and EV models, even in the top-end models that ride on entirely different platforms and unlike smaller cars that will use a common architecture for both electric and combustion powertrains. The egg-shaped EQS has been a sales bomb for Mercedes and having learned from that mistake, future EVs will look like their gas brothers.

New products in showrooms this year include the CLA sedan, which will be available in EV and ICE forms with very similar prices and spawn a family of cars built on the same platform. The new CLA model family will feature many different body styles, including an SUV and wagon. All-electric GLC and C-Class cars are also on the way and Mercedes confirmed it is working on an E-Class EV to rival BMW’s i5.

On the combustion side, the company will soon unveil a facelifted S-Class and says engines with four to eight cylinders will be available across the Mercedes range, equipped to meet Euro 7 emissions standards. And it’s also hanging onto the mighty V12 engine for its flagship sedans.

Earnings at Benz’s car division dropped by 39 percent to €8.7 billion ($9.1 bn) during a tough 2024 and it expects 2025 to be even more brutal. It has pledged to cut costs by 10 percent by 2027 and reduce them even further by 2030.

Despite the announced cuts, Mercedes won’t shut down its German factories but it will move production of at least one model line from Germany to Hungary, where production is 70 percent less expensive. Mercedes also says it will increase its focus on building models for America and China within those countries to future-proof itself from looming tariff threats.