New 2025 Mercedes CLA EV Does Donuts in the Arctic

They may not be the most revealing scoops of the upcoming premium subcompact sedan, but they show the car's tail-happy nature. Unfortunately, we only have static shots of it doing donuts, and it's enough to make us more excited about this model that throws the ball into BMW's and Audi's yards, forcing them to come up with electric alternatives to the 2 Series Coupe and A3 Sedan.

Even though our man with the cam blurred the prototype's license plates, it is clear that we're looking at a completely different tester than the one we covered last week. For one, it has a large ducktail spoiler-like piece attached to the trunk lid, which may or may not be fake plastic cladding meant to hide some of its rear-end design. Second, the wheels are different, and they're also larger this time around.

Could these components, combined with the model's tail-happy skills, be a hint that we're looking at a punchy version, perhaps one that involves the Affalterbach brand, namely Mercedes-AMG? Answering this question is impossible for now, but it would be logical for AMG to get involved in the next-gen CLA's development, even if it has battery-electric power. After all, the current car also bears the performance sub-brand's signature in the top-of-the-line flavors (35, 45, and 45 S).

Besides the exterior, we also caught a glimpse of the cabin last week, with its new infotainment system sitting next to the fresh digital instrument cluster. Mind you, most of the cockpit was under wraps, but we could still see part of the central console and tunnel, with the slim air vents in the middle and what appeared to be several physical buttons below them.

The MMA construction, which the upcoming Mercedes CLA uses, can accommodate both internal combustion engines and electric powertrains. It's been reported that this model will benefit from the 800V technology, just like the concept that previewed it in 2023, which would support charging at up to 250 kW. In addition to the BEV power, the car could also get gasoline units, with or without partial electrification, and perhaps some plug-in hybrids, too.

In theory, the next CLA appears to be a driver's car, unlike the current and previous generations, which were often criticized for utilizing a front-biased platform. If this is indeed an AMG-badged EV, we hope its rumored bi-motor setup would allow it to act like a rear-wheel drive machine, as that's the only way it could ever dream of taking a green swing at the BMW M2 when it premieres, likely later this year or in early 2025.