Automobile club Luxembourg

The entry level electric estate car

Mercedes Benz recently brought out an electric version of its CLA Shooting Brake. This body type, introduced in 2015, offers a vehicle that combines elegance with practical aspects.

This relatively compact model nonetheless offers plenty of space on board for occupants. The quality of the materials and the finishings are impeccable, the comfort excellent and the on-board silence is impressive in all circumstances. The boot offers a useful 505 litres which goes up to 1,730 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
 
As for the power train, a 1.3 litre turbo petrol engine produces 160 hp and is accompanied by a 75 kW (102 hp) electric motor. The combined output is more than sufficient at 218 hp and 450 Nm. The automatic gearbox provides a note of gentleness and the choice of ratios is always intelligent.
 
The real strong point of this model is the large capacity traction battery (15.6 kWh) giving a real range of 50 kilometres (31 miles) in 100% electric mode. In hybrid mode, this battery means you can drive mostly in electric mode, which is very pleasant. We measured average consumption at just 3.7 L/100 km (16.79 mpl or 76.35 mpg) and 10.8 kWh/100 km over the 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) of our test. This highlights the optimisation of the fine tuning and its effectiveness.
 
Handling on the road is effective and precise, but the weight of the batteries (150 kg) makes itself felt when trying to drive dynamically. In hybrid mode, shifting between electric and ICE is transparent and judicious. Even so, there were times when it seemed to us that the electric mode was over-privileged (fast stretches of road where the combustion engine would have been a wiser choice).
 
Mercedes offers us a successful estate car, practical thanks to its boot, and very efficient thanks to its 15.6 kWh battery and settings that favour low consumption. As with all PHEVs, it is by driving in an eco-responsible manner that you really get the best out of this vehicle. Lastly, for people with a lease car as a company perk, this model could be a good choice in view of its low rating as a taxable benefit compared with classic internal combustion engines.
 

 

Image source: Mercedes