Chinese Mercedes-Benz CLA L fails in the market, production halted

Chinese consumers, spoilt for choice with new products, have given a lukewarm reception to the new Mercedes-Benz CLA L, which features a longer wheelbase designed specifically for them: sales have been very weak, and production of this model at the Beijing Benz joint venture plant in Beijing has had to be paused.

The global third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA made its debut in March 2025, and is available with both hybrid and fully electric powertrains. In Europe, the new CLA was very warmly received, so much so that production had to be ramped up; but in China, the exact opposite has happened.

The Chinese Mercedes-Benz CLA L went on sale in November 2025 in a single all-electric, single-motor version, the CLA 300 L (272 hp, range of 866 km on a single charge under the CLTC cycle). In April this year, the more affordable CLA 260 L version hit the market — also a single-motor electric model (224 hp, range of 600 km on a single charge under the CLTC cycle).

The overall length of the Chinese Mercedes-Benz CLA L has been increased compared to the global saloon version, from 4,723 mm to 4,763 mm; the wheelbase has grown from 2,790 mm to 2,830 mm; the width has been reduced from 1,855 mm to 1,836 mm; and the height has increased from 1,468 mm to 1,471 mm. All of the extra wheelbase has been used to increase rear passenger legroom — the idea was that this would elevate the model's status. While this approach worked well in the past, it no longer does.

According to data from the resource Mbpassion, only 627 units of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA L were sold in China in the first half of 2026. Mass production at such volumes becomes pointless, so to avoid overstocking warehouses, production of the Mercedes-Benz CLA L has been temporarily paused. How long this pause will last is currently unknown. It is unlikely the model will be discontinued — more likely, they will try to make it cheaper and reduce prices.

The basic Mercedes-Benz CLA 260 L currently costs from 229,000 yuan (approximately £24,500 at current exchange rates), and the CLA 300 L from 249,000 yuan (approximately £26,600). This is expensive, because for 219,900 yuan (approximately £23,500) you can get the larger Xiaomi SU7, and for 203,800 yuan (approximately £21,800) you can get the even larger and very striking Xpeng P7.

Overall, Mercedes-Benz sales in China in the first half of the year, according to the company itself, fell by 28% to 210,200 vehicles. Mercedes-Benz management does not yet know how to stop this decline, because in China the brand has lost its main trump cards — brand prestige and technological superiority. Leading local automotive brands are now more attractive to Chinese consumers; their cars are cheaper and are updated at a pace that Mercedes-Benz can only dream of for now.