2026 Mercedes CLA Base Model (DE) Loses Its Passenger Screen

Automakers always put their best foot forward when launching a new model, and Mercedes is no exception. The brand debuted the third-generation CLA in a high-end trim loaded with extras. Now that the German configurator is live, we took a closer look at the base model, and unsurprisingly, it’s a different story. Gone is the 14.0-inch passenger-side display, replaced by a large piece of piano black plastic adorned with three-pointed stars.
 

Usually, fewer screens would be a good thing, but here, we’re honestly not so sure. The upright dashboard feels oddly sterile and lacks the personality of the previous CLA. Dropping the trio of turbine-style center vents for this stripped-down layout doesn’t help either. It’s a bit too austere for our tastes, but that’s how the cookie crumbles when you have to shove big screens into a dash. The infotainment also measures a stately 14.0 inches.
 
As the entry-level version of the CLA lineup, it features seats wrapped in synthetic leather, though the real thing is available as an option. These screenshots from Mercedes’ configurator highlight just how far some automakers are going to simplify interiors. Separate climate controls are a thing of the past, and the car makes do with just two window switches. The sea of glossy black plastic extends to the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, another increasingly common and controversial design trend.
 
Knowing the modus operandi of automakers, Mercedes will most likely clone this interior for the future CLA Shooting Brake, GLA, and GLB. We hope things will be different with the so-called “Little G,” a smaller and more attainable alternative to the Geländewagen. Reports indicate that the smaller off-roader will be related to the CLA to some degree, but a bit more variety inside certainly wouldn’t hurt.
 

Stepping outside, the entry-level CLA rides on 17-inch wheels, but 18- and 19-inch alloys are available. Since we’re dealing with the fully electric version, the size of the wheels impacts range. Mercedes keeps the front light bar, even on the base model, although we would prefer the car without it. The same goes for the light bar at the back, albeit it doesn’t feel as superficial as the front one.
 
2026 Mercedes CLA base model (DE)
In case the front and rear badges are not large enough, numerous tiny stars are embedded into the headlights and taillights, as well as in the panel that replaces the grille. It’s a bit too much for our tastes, but if you want your car to shout it’s a Mercedes, the new CLA does the job ostentatiously even in its most basic form.
 
Math starts at €55,858 ($63,600 at current exchange rates), but remember that Germans pay 19 percent value-added tax (VAT). We’re sure the gas version will be substantially cheaper, and the equivalent US model should be more affordable.