The first modern Mercedes-Benz model with a front trunk in decades has arrived during an "electrifying" even in Rome, complete with MHEV and EV powertrains

Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan will come as both an EV and a hybrid, and feature over-the-air updates and AI-based infotainment.

With a profile that renders the larger CLS-Class in miniature, the Mercedes-Benz CLA gets a more curvaceous look come fall when it goes on sale. Looking much like the 2023 Concept CLA-class, the entry-level 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is still as sexy as ever.

Mercedes splits the CLA-Class into EV and hybrid offerings, as it tackles some of the most efficient small cars on the road.

Mercedes is also bucking the traditional method of introducing a new platform as an ICE vehicle and then wedging the design into an EV platform. Instead, the company is going “EV first,” launching the CLA as an EV first and then later as an internal combustion with a mild hybrid in 2026.

Mercedes-Benz CLA is the latest in a spate of new vehicles reversing the technology trickle-down process we normally see from the three-pointed star. In the past, Benz's latest and greatest technologies would debut on the S-Class limousine before making their way to more affordable models.

Mercedes-Benz CLA may be an entry-level model, but it's leading the way with new tech and EV hardware improvements.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox