The redesigned Mercedes CLA has been a familiar sight for the past 22 months, but the model is finally entering the homestretch. It’s now celebrating by stripping down and showing some skin.

While the front and rear ends are heavily camouflaged, the latest prototype has an exposed body. It’s immediately familiar, but incorporates some cues from the EQE and EQS.

More: Mercedes Details New CLA’s Two EV And Three Hybrid Powertrains

The changes are readily apparent as we can see streamlined bodywork as well as flush-mounted door handles. The greenhouse has also been completely revamped and it’s an awkward mess as the third quarter glass extends into the rear door. As a result, there’s mismatched lines and an unappealing mix of shapes.

At the ends, there are star-infused lighting units which have become a hallmark of the modern Mercedes. They’re joined by an evolutionary single bar grille and new bumpers.

The redesigned CLA will debut next year and ride on the new Mercedes Modular Architecture. The company has revealed quite a bit in recent months and has previously confirmed an electric variant with a rear-mounted motor producing 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS).

Customers can also opt for a 4Matic variant, which adds a 107 hp (80 kW / 109 PS) motor up front. It only has a ‘boost’ capability as the motor engages when extra power or traction is needed.

We’ll learn more about the electric powertrain closer to launch, but Mercedes has already confirmed the CLA has an 800-volt electrical architecture as well as a DC fast charging capability of up to 320 kW. The company also has plans to offer an optional 85 kWh silicon oxide battery.

If you’re not sold on the electric revolution, you can look forward to a new family of four-cylinder petrol engines. Americans will get a hybridized powertrain that consists of a 1.5-liter engine, a small battery, and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with an integrated electric motor. The engine produces 188 hp (140 kW / 190 PS), while the motor contributes an additional 27 hp (20 kW / 27 PS). Front-wheel drive comes standard, but all-wheel drive will be optional.

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Spy photographers have caught the Mercedes GLC EV undergoing testing ahead of its launch in 2026. While the prototype is still heavily camouflaged, some of the disguise is starting to come off.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much to see up front as the prototype has a fully enclosed grille that is flanked by temporary headlights. They’re joined by a wide lower intake and a streamlined hood, which is hidden beneath bulky padding.

More: 2027 Mercedes GLC EV Spied With A New Front End

The sides show a lot more detail as we can see pronounced wheel arches with plastic body cladding. They’re joined by flush-mounted door handles and a greenhouse that mimics the EQE and EQS SUVs. However, the GLC EV has more traditional front side glass and that’s a welcome change.

Designers also gave the crossover an upward sweeping beltline and muscular rear haunches. Elsewhere, there are circular taillight graphics inspired by the Mercedes star emblem. We can also get a glimpse of a minimalist spoiler and a plain rear bumper.

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We still haven’t gotten a good look inside, but the crossover will presumably echo newer models and feature a freestanding digital instrument cluster as well as an infotainment system with a portrait orientation.

Mercedes hasn’t said much about the GLC EV, but CEO Ola Källenius recently confirmed it will arrive in 2026 and ride on the MB.EA platform. Little is known about it, but the architecture should be more advanced than the MMA platform that will underpin entry-level models such as the redesigned CLA.

That particular car hints at the GLC’s capabilities as it offers an 800-volt electrical architecture and a 320 kW DC fast charging capability that can deliver up to 186 miles (300 km) of range in as little as ten minutes. The model also promises a WLTP range in excess of 466 miles (750 km).

While a lot of this is an apples to oranges comparison, some electric motors may carryover. As a result, it’s interesting to note the CLA will have a rear-mounted motor with up to 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS). 4Matic variants add a front-mounted motor producing 107 hp (80 kW / 109 PS).

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Mercedes has begun to reveal more secrets about its crucial new CLA compact sedan that goes on sale next year, including the five different electric and hybrid powertrain options buyers will choose from. The CLA is the first of a family of new small Mercedes cars that’ll eventually consist of a sedan, wagon and two SUVs, all built around the same MMA platform capable of taking both EV and combustion tech.

Related: Mercedes CEO Drives 2026 Electric CLA, Reveals AI Assistant And 2-Speed Transmission

And it sounds like the fully-electric versions will live up the promises made by the 2023 CLA Concept. Like the show car, the production CLA will feature 800-volt charging and expects to be rated at 466 WLTP miles (750 km) of electric range in its most efficient spec. Capable of swallowing a 320 kW DC charge, the CLA will be able to add 36 kWh of energy in 10 minutes, and can be ordered with 58 kWh LFP or larger and more energy-dense 85 kWh silicon oxide anode batteries.

Entry-level rear-wheel drive versions get a single 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) motor on the rear axle that drives through a two-speed transmission, and all-wheel drive models add a 107 hp (80 kW / 109 PS) electric motor on the font axle that is disengaged when not needed for maximum efficiency.

Even more powerful AMG-branded CLAs will appear in time, but Mercedes isn’t talking about them just yet. But it is happy to talk about the hybrid-engined versions of the CLA that will minimise the company’s exposure to a slowdown in the EV market.

The 1.5-liter Miller-cycle combustion engine under the hood is available in 134 hp (136 PS), 161 hp (163 PS) and 188 hp (190 PS) tunes, each boosted by a 27 hp (20 kW / 27 PS) electric motor tucked inside a wide-ratio eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. As with the EV, both two- and 4Matic all-wheel drive configurations will be available, though in the hybrid’s case the base car is front-, not rear-wheel drive.

Mercedes says its choice to use four rather than three cylinders (like BMW employs) means the CLA hybrid is more refined than rival cars and explains that it can drive on electric power “at urban speeds,” though doesn’t specify how far or how fast it can move without waking the ICE motor.

Life is about to get much tougher for the Tesla Model 3. Mercedes is almost ready to launch a rival, the CLA, and has just dropped a video of the firm’s boss driving the electric sedan to whet our appetites.

Due to go on sale in 2025 as a 2026 model, the CLA is a sporty-looking coupe-sedan and the first of a family of cars and crossovers built around a new electrified MMA platform. Though the car CEO Ola Källenius drives in the video is an EV, the former AMG chief confirms that hybrid versions will also be available.

Related: 2026 Mercedes CLA To Get A 2.0L Turbo Engine Built By China’s Geely

We’ve run spy shot stories on the CLA before, but the ‘official’ spy video and images released with it today give us our best look yet at the production version of the 2023 CLA Concept. And Källenius even pulls off some of the headlamp disguise to reveal the star-shaped DRLs in the front headlights, which look like white versions of the rear LEDs on the E-Class.

Though the video feels like it was made for an audience of seven-year-olds and is frustratingly light on details, we can glean some meaningful info on the CLA. The doors, for instance, feature frameless glass to give a coupe feel, and the huge panoramic roof – just like a Model 3’s – bathes the darkly upholstered cabin in light.

We don’t get to see the dashboard, but Källenius shows us the automaker’s new AI voice assistant tech. It comes with the MB.OS software that makes its debut on the CLA and helps you control the car’s functions to save you from getting distracted with touchscreen menus.

“Every digital feature you can possibly think of, you’ll probably find it in this car,” says Källenius proudly.

He also reveals that the electric CLA’s two-speed transmission is the secret to some incredible efficiency figures, though stops short of telling us the motor and battery stats or giving us a range figure. But based on what Mercedes told us about the CLA concept we can expect 800-volt electrics and 250 kW charging speeds that will enable the sedan to gain 248 miles (400 km) of range within just 15 minutes of a plug being attached.

The concept was powered by a lightweight 235 hp (175 kW / 238 PS) electric motor and delivered an overall driving range exceeding 466 miles (750 km), though no doubt Mercedes will offer multiple power levels. We also recently learned that the hybrid version of the CLA will get a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four built by China’s Geely.

Spotting the changes hiding under the camouflage of a facelifted prototype is part of the job around here. But this 2027 Mercedes GLC EV is a different case. It appears to have had a facelift before even reaching the market.

The GLC EV is the upcoming replacement for the EQC electric SUV, and our spy photo team has captured it several times over the past year or so. But this latest set of scoop images shows a prototype with a totally different front-end design to the one seen on earlier test cars.

Related: Electric Mercedes C-Class And GLC Confirmed For 2026

Those previous prototypes’ hoods featured a straight line across the nose a bit like on the current EQC, but placed further down the car so that it ran between the headlights rather than above them. And that seemed to fit with the new design language Mercedes had teased on the 2023 CLA concept car.

But this new SUV’s hood has a large notch cut into it, presumably to make space for a big Mercedes grille. That would give the GLC EV a similar family look to cars like the current E-Class sedan. The doors still feature some unusual ridges above their flush door handles and the placeholder taillights, but we expect to see new prototypes fitted with the final production equipment in the next few months.

Although this SUV replaces the EQC, it probably won’t wear that badge. Mercedes is changing up its naming strategy and called the electric version of the G-wagon the G-Class with EQ Technology, instead of EQG. So what we could have here is a GLC with EQ Technology.

It’s not only the name of the electric G-Class that’s changing. The EQC was an EV-converted combustion SUV but its replacement rides on a dedicated electric platform. We don’t know any firm technical details at this stage – the model doesn’t debut until 2026 – but Mercedes showcased 800-volt charging tech on the CLA concept so it would make sense for the GLC to get that too, although the CLA is built on the new MMA architecture and the GLC uses the MB.EA platform designed for medium and larger cars.

Images: Baldauf