Mercedes has but to decide on which mannequin will use the know-how from the Imaginative and prescient EQXX idea. Will or not it’s the longer term Mercedes CLA electrical or the longer term Mercedes C-Class electrical?
In Might 2022, Mercedes confirmed that the upcoming Mercedes CLA would be the first mannequin to make use of the brand new MMA platform designed for electrical propulsion however which can be tailored for typical propulsion. Then, on the convention the place Mercedes introduced the organisation of the vary into the three classes – High Finish Luxurious, Core Luxurious and Entry Luxurious, chief designer Gorden Wagener briefly introduced what he referred to as “the entry degree luxurious automotive”. It was apparent that the silhouette of the automotive introduced was that of the longer term Mercedes CLA.
Now, data has emerged that the longer term Mercedes CLA may also have an electrical model that may borrow know-how from the Mercedes Imaginative and prescient EQXX idea. Mercedes officers have made it very clear that the Mercedes Imaginative and prescient EQXX idea is not going to immediately flip right into a manufacturing automotive however the aerodynamic options and battery and powertrain know-how will likely be utilized in future manufacturing fashions. It stays to be seen whether or not the brand new Mercedes CLA may also take design parts from the Imaginative and prescient EQXX idea.
The electrically and conventionally powered Mercedes CLA would change into the primary mannequin within the new Entry Luxurious class. It will compete with the Tesla Model3, Polestar 2 and BMW i4.
Alternatively, Mercedes has not but decided on what is going to occur with the longer term electrical Mercedes C-Class. In the meanwhile, Mercedes has the EVA platform for the EQ luxurious fashions – EQE/EQE SUV, EQS/EQS SUV which is able to remodel from 2025 to the MB.EA structure. In 2024, Mercedes will launch the MMA platform for the compact vary. Markus Schafer, head of growth at Mercedes stated the MMA platform is meant for compact fashions however has the potential for use within the mid-size class (C-Class).
For now, so far as we all know, a choice has not been made and it’s fairly arduous to make. The know-how of the Mercedes Imaginative and prescient EQXX is extraordinarily superior particularly when it comes to energetic aerodynamics and battery know-how. Utilizing this costly know-how on an Entry Luxurious mannequin would improve the worth so much. Alternatively, this costly know-how would match higher in a Mercedes C-Class electrical which is a part of the Core Luxurious class and a Mercedes C-Class could be higher positioned within the competitors towards the Tesla Mannequin 3 or BMW i4.And if Mercedes had been to introduce its Imaginative and prescient EQXX know-how on an entry degree mannequin, it might routinely have to supply it on all increased class fashions.