Mercedes unleashes new EV era in South Korea with next-gen CLA and GLC SUVs
Mercedes-Benz Korea on Monday launched all-electric versions of its CLA sedan and GLC sport utility vehicle (SUV) in South Korea as part of its push to expand its electric vehicle lineup, Yonhap reports.
The German luxury automaker unveiled the all-new electric CLA and GLC, both built on its next-generation, in-house-developed electric vehicle platforms.
"Together with these two models, we marked a very important turning point in our electrification journey as the first representatives of a new generation of purpose-built electric architectures," Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Shirin Emeera said during a launch event in Seoul.
The electric CLA comes in two variants: the CLA 250+ electric with an 85 per kilowatt hour (kWh) nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery and the CLA 200 electric with a 58 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.
Both models use batteries supplied by Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL).
The CLA 250+ electric and CLA 200 electric offer driving ranges of 474 kilometers and 342 kilometers, respectively, on a single charge under South Korean certification standards.
Both support fast charging, allowing their batteries to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 22 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively.
The electric GLC, the first fully electric version of Mercedes-Benz's popular SUV, comes with an 85 kWh NCM battery and offers a driving range of up to 448 kilometers. Its battery, also supplied by CATL, can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 22 minutes.
The electric CLA is available in five trims, priced between 52.9 million won (US$39,759) and 67.7 million won, while the electric GLC comes in two launch editions priced at 90 million won and 94.8 million won.
Mercedes-Benz said the electric CLA has received about 1,000 preorders since September, while the electric GLC has drawn more than 2,500 since July. Deliveries of both models are set to begin in mid-November.
Earlier, it was reported that Japan’s Suzuki had unveiled the most affordable mini EV.