2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA Hybrid First Drive Review: Rough Around the Edges

• The subcompact Mercedes-Benz CLA adds a hybrid variant next year.
• Pricing and fuel economy are TBD, but expect this car to start around $45,000.
• The new hybrid engine lacks refinement, but the rest of the CLA is nice.

A new hybrid engine

The CLA EV is great; we recently put a CLA 250+ through the Edmunds EV Range Test and it went an impressive 434 miles. Still, fully electric power isn't for everyone, and from the CLA's inception, Mercedes planned to offer a gas-powered variant. The upcoming GLB SUV — which shares its architecture with the CLA — will follow suit.

The 2027 CLA 220 hybrid will initially launch with front-wheel drive, but an all-wheel-drive CLA 220 4Matic will follow in late 2026. A brand-new hybrid powertrain provides motivation, combining a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a 1.3-kWh battery pack that feeds a small electric motor integrated in the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The e-motor provides a maximum of 30 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque, which is really just enough to help the CLA pull away from stoplights or provide immediate boost if you step on the throttle to pass a slower-moving car on the freeway.

Powertrain problems

Mercedes says you can tool around at city speeds solely under electric power, but driving through Austria's many quaint little ski towns, the gas engine is eager to kick in. There's no dedicated EV mode to lock the CLA into electric driving; you have to use a light touch on the throttle. In practice, the CLA only wants to behave like an EV under about 5 mph. Not ideal.

What's worse, the handoff between electric power and gas assist is rough and abrupt. When the 1.5-liter turbo engine fires up, total system output increases to 208 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. But the CLA 220 isn't exactly quick. Mercedes estimates a 0-to-60-mph time of 7.1 seconds, which is half a second slower than a Honda Civic hybrid. Efficiency estimates are still TBD, and while I do expect the CLA hybrid to return decent fuel economy, I doubt it'll be able to match the aforementioned Civic's impressive 49 mpg combined.

The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission could also stand to be refined. Across the CLA hybrid's Eco, Comfort and Sport drive settings, gear changes are jerky and ill-timed; the transmission will abruptly upshift when you're trying to make the most of the engine's power, but then hold a gear and hang out at 4,000 rpm for extended periods of time for seemingly no reason. Want to shift gears yourself? OK, just don't expect traditional steering wheel-mounted paddles. Instead, you toggle the column gear selector fore and aft, which is mega awkward.

Big tech in a small package

The CLA 220's gruff hybrid engine is a turn-off, but the rest of this little sedan has lots to like. Over hundreds of miles of driving on Austrian roads, the CLA is comfortable, and the cabin is nicely insulated from wind and road noise. 

Despite its small size, the CLA has a good amount of space inside; a 6-foot-tall adult can easily fit in the back. Mercedes fits the CLA hybrid with a standard 10.3-inch gauge cluster and a 14-inch central multimedia touchscreen, but you can opt for the MBUX Superscreen, which adds a 14-inch passenger display, giving you full-dash-width digital real estate. I personally think it's a bit of tech overload — screens do not equal luxury — but it'll at least distract you from some of the less refined bits of hard plastic on the center console and door pockets.

Other nifty tech includes driver assistance features like lane-change and steering assist, plus an optional 360-degree camera system. The CLA comes standard with a large panoramic glass roof, but the ability to dim is an added extra, which is very dumb. Mercedes' Burmester 3D surround-sound stereo is another highlight. It sounds great, and the metal speaker covers look clutch.

The CLA is good, but the hybrid needs work

The CLA is one of the least expensive ways to park a Mercedes-Benz in your driveway, but make no mistake, this car isn't cheap. Official pricing won't be announced until sometime next year, but the current CLA 250 sedan starts around $44,000 including destination, so a base MSRP around $45K for the hybrid sounds about right. Loaded up with bells and whistles, however, the CLA 220 will definitely push up toward $55,000, which is a lot of money for a subcompact car with such a rough hybrid powertrain.

I like the fully electric CLA EV more because it's smooth, powerful and has great driving range. By comparison, the CLA 220 hybrid feels like a downgrade. Honestly, if you can live without the huge screen and don't need the self-fulfillment of saying you own a Mercedes-Benz, go get a Honda Civic. It's a more refined all-around product that'll only set you back $30K.