2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Gets New Looks, Electrified Powertrain

• Mercedes revealed the 2024 CLA Coupe lineup, previewing newly styled front and rear ends, restyled headlights, and new wheel options.

• Peak output stays at 221 horsepower, but a newly electrified powertrain adds 13 horsepower to bring peak power lower in the range.

• There's no word on official pricing yet, but Mercedes expects the new CLA to start arriving at dealerships later in 2023.

Mercedes isn't quite ready to give the CLA a full redesign but instead is offering a slight facelift to please fans of the compact four-door. Along with it comes a newly electrified powertrain. The 2024 model gains a 48-volt hybrid system to help with acceleration. In the low end of the rev range, it adds a power boost of 13 extra horsepower. During braking and acceleration, the starter-generator recuperates energy, which it then uses to supply the 12-volt onboard network and the 48-volt hybrid system with electrical energy. The system appears to work similarly to the hybrid system in the Mercedes-AMG SL43, which utilizes a belt-driven starter-generator to boost horsepower at lower rpm.

The CLA's looks are updated at both front and rear, although changes are minimal. The front fascia getsnew shaping, and the radiator grille swaps its old speckled dot design for one spangled by the Mercedes star. The biggest visual changes are redesigned headlights and taillights, which drop the lower portion of the daytime running lights. There are two new color options: Hyper Blue, which is exclusive to CLA models, and Starling Blue. Three new wheel designs also join the lineup.

The AMG wing cooked up its own series of revisions and upgrades for the AMG CLA35 and CLA45 models, which sport a new AMG-specific front end. Opting for the AMG Aerodynamics Package Plus adds a fixed rear spoiler. Output in the AMG CLA35 stays put at 302 horsepower, though it receives the same 13-hp boost as the non-AMG variants. The AMG CLA45S is a different story, with power increasing by 34 horsepower to an impressive total of 416. According to Mercedes, the AMG CLA45S can sprint to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds.