The Mercedes CLA EQ Tech was supposed to be a game-changer that would attract customers. It didn’t do that in China. 627 registrations in half a year

The Mercedes CLA with EQ technology was met with great enthusiasm in Europe. Media representatives were pleased that the traditional German manufacturer finally had a product that matched the world’s top performers in terms of technology. They overlooked the poor finish and cramped cabin, focusing instead on the range and advantages of the high-voltage architecture. But the Chinese didn’t seem to share these feelings; they weren’t affected by the positive vibes—ungrateful people. Only 627 units of the Mercedes CLA L EQ Tech were sold in half a year.

Chinese people love Mercedes cars. To be more precise: older Chinese prefer gasoline-powered Mercedeses; no one pays attention to electric models.

The Mercedes CLA L is an extended version of the Mercedes CLA EQ Tech, which entered the Chinese market as the standard variant. Chinese consumers prefer models with a longer wheelbase and greater length, so European manufacturers who want to sell cars there adapt to these trends. It’s also worth noting that the electric Mercedes CLA is quite compact despite its 4.72-meter length, fitting more into the C-segment rather than the D-segment. The Chinese version, the Mercedes CLA L EQ Tech, has a wheelbase increased to 2.83 meters and a length of 4.76 meters, giving it the potential to compete with other D-segment vehicles.

The Mercedes CLA L EQ Tech is slightly longer than its European counterpart (c) Mercedes China

The electric Mercedes CLA L uses exactly the same battery as the European version, along with the same two-speed transmission, allowing it to offer up to 866 CLTC miles of range in China. This is an excellent figure for that market, yet... it hasn’t convinced many buyers. According to MBPassion, only 627 units were sold in China during the first six months of the year, and it seems this figure includes dealership registrations. The results are alarming [for Mercedes]: registration numbers ranged from a few dozen to 358 in March and 161 in May, but the car found no buyers at all in June.

Despite its 800 V architecture and software features designed specifically for the Chinese market (such as selfie-capable cameras and services integrated with ByteDance), the CLA L EQ Tech fails to attract Chinese consumers. The car comes equipped with a driver assistance system developed by Momenta that does work, but even this isn’t enough. The electric Mercedes CLA L lags behind in terms of charging speed compared to comparable models from Geely, BYD, or Xpeng, has a lower level of interior quality than Nio, and its software features seem less appealing than those of Chinese competitors. On top of that, the price of the CLA L EQ Tech is higher.

The production of this car at Beijing Benz’s facilities has reportedly already been halted.

The Mercedes CLA EQ Tech in matte black and blue versions. They were beautiful and attractive, but not drivable because a software update caused a series of critical errors.

Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: Only a journalist who turns a blind eye to poor construction because “the car promises good range” can consider this model failure incomprehensible. Right, Mr. vwir?

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