ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The brand new Mercedes-Benz CLA has won the title of “Car of the Year 2026”, awarded by the prestigious European jury during the official ceremony at the Brussels Auto Show. A recognition that rewards a car able to redefine the parameters of the segment, combining emotional design, technological innovation, advanced safety and electrical efficiency at the highest levels. The new CLA represents much more than a simple model: it is the first exponent of a completely new family of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, all available in both electric and high-tech hybrid versions. The debut comes with the 100% electric variant, symbol of Stella’s strategy towards increasingly sustainable, intelligent and flexible mobility.
At the heart of this revolution is the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), developed internally and adopted for the first time on the CLA. Each car is equipped with a real supercomputer connected to the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, capable of receiving continuous over-the-air updates, including driving assistance systems. An approach that guarantees a car always updated and current over time, like a smartphone on four wheels. MB.OS also inaugurates the fourth generation of MBUX, the Mercedes-Benz infotainment system, which establishes new human-machine interaction standards. For the first time in the automotive sector, a system natively integrates the artificial intelligence of Microsoft and Google, combining multiple AI agents into a single platform. The interface typically remains Mercedes, but it opens to a level of customization and intuitiveness never seen before.
The Superscreen MBUX, based on high-performance chips and real-time graphics of the Unity Game Engine, introduces a new visualization concept. The central display with MBUX Zero Layer shows essential information, tips and apps used recently, while the management of applications recalculates the logic of smartphones, with customizable folders and intuitive gestures. To revolutionize the experience on board is also the new MBUX virtual assistant, based on artificial intelligence generated. Thanks to the integration of ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, the assistant is able to support complex dialogues, remember context and respond personalizedly. Always present as a Mercedes-Benz star avatars, it even recognizes the driver’s emotions, adapting the responses accordingly.
Navigation is based on Google Maps and takes advantage of Mercedes-Benz Navigation with Electric Intelligence, which plans routes including optimized charging stops. The innovative MBUX Surround Navigation combines the 3D view of the surrounding environment with information from driving assistance systems, increasing driver awareness and safety.
On the security front, CLA offers the DISTRONIC Distance Assist as standard, while MB.DRIVE systems bring the SAE level 2 assisted guide to a new level, also introducing the Lane Change Assist that can be activated with a simple touch of the indicator lever. From the point of view of sustainability, the new electric CLA reduces the carbon footprint on the entire value chain by 40% compared to the previous model. The CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4MATIC models offer extraordinarily low consumption, up to 792 km and an 800 volt electric architecture that allows rapid charging: up to 325 km in just ten minutes. Equipped with new generation 85 kWh batteries and advanced technical solutions such as two-speed gearbox and air-air heat pump, the new CLA combines efficiency, comfort and performance. A concrete demonstration comes from the challenge on the Grande Raccordo Anulare in Rome, where the CLA has traveled over 700 km with one charge, confirming a true “one-litre car” of the electric age. With the new CLA, Mercedes-Benz not only presents a winning car, but a new idea of electric mobility, intelligent and concrete, ready to enter everyday life.
photo: Mercedes-Benz printing office Italy
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