Mercedes and Hot Wheels have joined forces to unveil a one-off CLA. It’s the latest in a Class of Creators series, which also includes the “molten chrome” CLA that was made in collaboration with Ice Spice.

Thankfully, the latest concept is far better as it pays tribute to the “boundless imagination of childhood, when cars were not just a means of transport but also an invitation to dream.” The model also celebrates automotive passion, which tends to be sparked at a young age by 1:64-scale diecast cars.

More: Starry But Soulless 2026 Mercedes CLA Leans On AI And Electric Power

As a result, the CLA has been Hot Wheels-ified as it features pink glass, a widebody kit, and a massive diffuser. They’re joined by a sizable rear wing, mismatched wheels, and a colorful livery.

According to Mercedes, the color scheme draws from the classic Hot Wheels aesthetic, mixing bright orange, pink, and blue tones. The company added the “oversized flames lend a retro-futuristic look reminiscent of 1980s pop culture.”

Road-Going Model Arrives Later This Year

The concept was shown at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in El Segundo over the weekend and it will be transformed into a diecast toy next spring. As for the road-going model, the CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4MATIC EVs are scheduled to land in America later this year.

The former has a rear-mounted motor developing 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm) of torque. This enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in approximately 6.6 seconds, before hitting a limited top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h).

Likewise, the CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system with 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm) of torque. Thanks to the extra power and traction, 60 mph (96 km/h) comes in 4.8 seconds.

Of course, you’ll probably want to avoid the launch model as it won’t work with 400-volt DC fast chargers. Vehicles with that capability won’t arrive until the spring of 2026 and the company is already warning consumers to “contact your dealer to confirm [compatibility] before purchase.”

Photos Mercedes

For years, many legacy carmakers believed the best way to sell electric vehicles was to make them stand apart from their combustion-powered counterparts. Even today, several brands still cling to that idea. But those days are drawing to a close at Mercedes-Benz, where the next generation of electric and ICE models will share a near-identical look.

The German company explains that early EV buyers wanted their cars to look distinct, which led to designs like the EQS, EQC, and EQE appearing radically different from their combustion equivalents such as the GLC and E-Class.

Lessons From the Jellybean Era

Design chief Gorden Wagener defended the “jellybean” or “egg-shaped” aesthetic earlier this year as “purposeful and very progressive,” though he later conceded that the car “was launched ten years too early” and that the marketing approach hadn’t helped.

Now that early adopters have already made the switch to electric, Mercedes thinks it can turn its attention to mainstream buyers who prefer their EVs to blend in rather than stand out.

Read: Star-Stricken Mercedes GLC EV Has A Grille Big Enough To Swallow A BMW iX3

“Early adopters wanted to be different,” chief technology officer Markus Schäfer told WhichCar? in Australia. “They wanted to show that they were driving an electric car, and now we’re entering the mainstream and mass adoption, and customers don’t want to show that they’re driving an EV. They want the same shape, no matter the drivetrain.”

Same Looks, Different Platforms

This new approach is most evident in the all-electric GLC. Unveiled in full last month, it serves as a replacement to the slow-selling EQC and looks very similar to the ICE variant. Similarly, the new CLA looks the same, regardless of whether it has a battery pack and an electric motor or a combustion engine.

Although its future EVs will continue this trend and share familiar styling with combustion models, Mercedes-Benz continues to insist on using dedicated EV and ICE platforms, rather than developing a single platform that can be used by all of its models, regardless of powertrain.

“In future, the top hat will be the same. The MB.UX intelligence will be the same, but the platform is different,” Schäfer said. Why are we doing this? Eventually you’re compromising when you try to squeeze different drivetrain types into one platform”.

He went on to explain that accommodating everything from six- and eight-cylinder engines to hybrids can eat into battery space, reducing range.

“Fitting both drivetrains to the same platform ultimately ends up with compromise, and we don’t want to offer compromised cars,” he added

More: Mercedes Previews C-Class EV With A Face That’s Bound To Start Fights

The upcoming C-Class will follow the same approach, built on the MB.EA platform with 800-volt technology and a 94-kWh battery pack for the electric version. Teased earlier this year, it’s expected to launch in 2026 as Mercedes’ answer to BMW’s new i3.

Mercedes’ compact car strategy has taken yet another detour, proving once again that long-term plans in Stuttgart rarely stay fixed for long. The new CLA was originally intended to serve as the entry point after the planned phase-out of the A-Class. Those plans have now changed, with the automaker confirming development of a new compact entry. This yet-unnamed car will slot below the CLA and take over from the A-Class once it bows out of production in 2028.

Originally, Mercedes intended to slim down its small car portfolio, positioning the CLA as the gateway into the brand. Built on the new MMA platform, it introduced updated styling, cutting-edge technology, and a blueprint for the next GLA and GLB SUVs.

Chasing Volume Over Exclusivity

However, Mercedes recently decided to step back from its traditional luxury positioning, even phasing out the word “luxury” from its official strategy. CEO Ola Källenius signaled a shift toward wider appeal and higher production volumes, after profits plunged to just a 5.3 percent margin in the first half of the year. With insiders citing excessive focus on costly Maybach and AMG models, Mercedes is preparing a major product push with more attainable compacts and SUVs.

Related: Mercedes Drops The “L-Word” And Is Ready To Flood The Streets With Cars

At the same time, strong demand across Europe has convinced the brand to keep the current A-Class hatchback and sedan alive until 2028. Yet even that extension may not be enough, as Mercedes now hints at a fresh entry-level model to keep pace with customer appetite for smaller, more affordable cars.

Mathias Geisen, Member of Mercedes’ Board of Management responsible for Marketing & Sales, spoke to Automobilwoche about the upcoming model: “We’ll be introducing further models based on our new MMA architecture after the CLA. Believe me: In the long run, there will be an entry-level model in the world of Mercedes-Benz.”

Compact Reinforcements

Geisen acknowledged the strong customer interest in the A-Class, calling it a “highly relevant vehicle” for Mercedes that helps “bind many of our customers to our brand early on.” He said they extended production to “avoid a supply gap,” hinting that the new entry-level offering could arrive by 2028.

More: Mercedes Is Quietly Reversing Its War On Physical Buttons

Details remain scarce. Neither the name nor the body style has been confirmed, and powertrain options are still under wraps. German reports indicate the new car might be a modified and cost-effective version of an existing SUV rather than a completely fresh series. That could mean a reworked GLA or a slightly smaller crossover, but Mercedes is keeping its cards close for now.

Priced To Sell

In any case, the new Mercedes crossover is expected to be competitively priced, answering the calls of German dealers. The current A-Class starts at €34,252 ($40,400) in its home market. By contrast, the fully electric CLA begins at €53,066 ($62,527), which actually makes it more expensive than the C-Class sedan at €42,265 ($49,800). A more affordable hybrid CLA is on the way to help close that gap.

The numbers underscore why this lower rung matters. Mercedes’ compact lineup sold 534,800 units in 2024, making up an important chunk of its overall 1,983,000 passenger car sales. In Germany alone, the A-Class accounted for 17,400 out of 257,900 new Mercedes registrations last year. That customer interest is likely what prompted Stuttgart to rethink its strategy and decide against abandoning the lower end of the market.

Goodbye B-Class

While the A-Class lives on, the B-Class is nearing its final chapter. Sales of the compact MPV have steadily declined, and production is scheduled to end in 2026 after a 22-year, three-generation run.

More: Mercedes Teases New Mini G-Class That’ll Be A Real G-Class In Every Way But One

Speaking about upcoming launches, Geisen remarked, “We’re launching more than 40 new models over the next two years. We’ve never had such a large product offensive. Our cars will set new standards in their categories”. Mercedes recently introduced the new GLC EV, serving as a zero-emission alternative to the GLC and a direct rival to the all-new BMW iX3 Neue Klasse.