Mercedes to roll out CLA EV model in 2 months

The new CLA Mercedes Benz knows the music you like — be it ‘shabad kirtan’, pop or rock n’ roll — at different times of the day (or night). It adjusts the temperature on your car seat without being told, and can drive from Jalandhar to Jodhpur, all 688-km, on a single electric charge. When it hits the Punjab market in the next couple of months, it will cost buyers Rs 55-60 lakhs. Some say the price is worth the comfort, ease of driving and above all, safety features. Mercedes Benz hopes that the CLA, a “nearly C-class” car, will give the sustainably aware driver a different brand experience all of its own. The CLA is set to roll out in India in the next two months.

It will be the first model to feature the brand’s in-house operating system, MBOS, and will be enabled with AI-driven, intuitive technology. Mercedes Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer said there already were six electric models of the German luxury brand in India, and but this one shall offer a higher range. “The CLA will be a completely build-up (CBU) car to be imported here, even though there are two locally manufactured EVs of the brand including the EQS 580 sedan and EQS 450 SUV,” he said during a round-table conference held recently at the company’s plant in Chakan, Pune.

Automaker to hike

prices in Jan 2026

On price and market issues, the company is planning to again increase prices by January 2026. It had already brought two-three price hikes in 2025, which got some cushioning effect for customers due to GST reduction by late September.

On how the company planned to reduce its forex losses in long term, Vyanatesh Kulkarni, head of operations, said, “The only solution is having more local production under the completely knocked down programme. All the glass for our e-class cars is manufactured locally. Engines for some models are being readied at our facility in Chakan, Force Motors.”

(This reporter was part of a group of journalists invited to visit a Mercedes factory at the Chakan SEZ, Pune, recently.)