Tesla’s Model 3 is about to get some major competition later this year when Mercedes reveals the all-new CLA sedan, the production version of the CLA concept we first met in 2023. And likely to arrive around 12 months after that is AMG’s answer to the Model 3 Performance, seen here strutting its stuff on German country roads.
The massive ducktail rear spoiler mounted between the clever three-pointed star lights leaves no doubt that we’re looking at the AMG version, though don’t expect the wing hidden beneath the disguise to look quite so outlandish – we wonder whether the real thing might be an active wing and this prototype simulates its raised position.
And there are other AMG telltales, like the big brake discs and what looks like six-piston monobloc calipers gripping those rotors on the front axle.
Related: Electric Mercedes-AMG CLA Spied For The First Time Spraying Four Rooster Tails In The Snow
A lack of visible exhaust tailpipes at the rear and the blanked grille at the other end say this prototype is an EV, as was the non-AMG CLA concept Mercedes unveiled last year. The firm has promised that the baby sedan will offer a 466-mile (750 km) electric range in its optimum long-distance configuration, though AMG versions won’t travel quite so far.
But the platform can accommodate both combustion and electric drivetrains, and we fully expect both the CLA and AMG to be available with ICE or hybrid power for buyers not convinced about ditching Shell V Power for volts.
The one thing all AMG versions will have in common is that they’ll deliver their power to all four wheels, just as we’ve come to expect from the brand. And the electric versions in particular are likely to have their torque distribution tuned to make them fun to drive on twisty roads.
Our last set of spy shots showed an AMG CLA kicking up four rooster tails on a frozen Scandinavian lake during testing, but also performing some flamboyant drifts, suggesting the hot EV can deliver plenty of torque to the rear axle when asked.
And soon, if you ask Mercedes for the same platform and powertrain package but with a touch more practicality, you’ll be able to choose from two CLA SUVs and a shooting brake. That lineup is going to give buyers far more choice than they get at Tesla, which currently only offers the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV in this price segment.
