New Mercedes CLA Takes Its Sleek Interior and High-Tech Cockpit to Europe's Freezing North

The three-pointed star brand gave a glimpse into the next-gen model with last year's CLA Concept, which had a futuristic design and a tech-infused cabin. However, the road-testing phase of the car started long before that, and more recently, our spies nabbed another prototype in Europe's freezing north.

Compared to the eponymous study, the tester has a more toned-down design. It features new front and rear ends and retains the sloping roofline towards the rear, which gives it its four-door coupe shape. We reckon once the thick camouflage starts coming off, the model will look like an evolution of its predecessor, with the new lighting units making it look a bit more futuristic.

It was not only the exterior design that became the focus of the camera lens here, as our photographer managed to get close enough to the prototype to snap a picture of the interior, too. The cockpit has nothing in common with that of last year's show car, as we can see a different infotainment system and a fresh digital gauge cluster. A pair of air vents can be seen below the central screen, and further down, it has a new console.

The camouflage did its role in preventing us from seeing more of the premium compact model's cabin, but you can expect it to be bathed in a lot of ambient lighting once it is ready for production. After all, Mercedes has some of the flashiest mood lighting signatures in the car world, and the next CLA won't make an exception. Lesser models will probably come with a smaller central screen and will be offered with cloth upholstery, whereas the upper specs should get the larger unit and stuff such as leather upholstery, a sunroof, heated and ventilated seats with massage, and so on.

Underpinned by the MMA platform, which can host both EV and ICE powertrains, the upcoming Mercedes CLA will probably get the 800-volt tech from the concept, which would allow it to charge at 250 kW. We expect multiple powertrain options, perhaps including gasoline units and plug-in hybrid assemblies, thus making it a very interesting proposal in the segment and inevitably upping the ante for the rivaling Audi A3 Sedan and BMW 2 Series Coupe.

It is believed that the car is due towards the end of this year or perhaps in early 2025. This probably means the first copies will start arriving at dealers in selected markets sometime next year. Are you excited about the new CLA?