New Mercedes-Benz CLA wins ‘Saloon of The Year’ at TopGear.com Awards 2026

Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The new Mercedes-Benz CLA has been crowned ‘Saloon of The Year’ at the TopGear.com Awards 2026. The CLA’s award was collected last night by Axel Heix – Director of Development, Compact Cars, at Mercedes-Benz AG.
Paul Horrell, Consultant Editor, Top Gear Magazine, said: “The new CLA has a standout headline range, but it also rides with a supple yet well damped and quiet gait. Its steering has a lovely oiled progression, given purity by rear drive. Its seats are superb. The cabin interface is pleasing, both operationally and aesthetically. As a car to accompany you through life, it’s utterly superb.”
As the first model in a new family of vehicles underpinned by the flexible Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), the electric CLA 250+ has a range of up to 484 miles1 in Sport Edition specification and can be recharged at up to 320 kW2. The Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) integrates and controls every aspect of the vehicle – from infotainment and automated driving to comfort and charging.
The CLA is available to order now, with the electric CLA 250+ Saloon priced from £45,6153. Customers can place an order through the Mercedes-Benz Online Showroom or by visiting a Mercedes-Benz Agent. Detailed pricing and specifications are available on the Mercedes-Benz website.
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Prices and specifications are subject to change without prior notice
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Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance
Mercedes‑Benz AG is part of the Mercedes‑Benz Group AG with a total of around 175,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for the global business of Mercedes‑Benz Cars and Mercedes‑Benz Vans. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and vehicle-related services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be the leader in the fields of electric mobility and vehicle software. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes‑Benz brand with Mercedes‑AMG, Mercedes‑Maybach and G‑Class with their all-electric models as well as products of the smart brand. Mercedes‑Benz AG is one of the world's largest manufacturers of high-end passenger cars. In 2024 it sold around 2,4 million passenger cars and vans. In its two business segments, Mercedes‑Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with more than 30 production sites on four continents, while gearing itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is constructing and extending its global battery production network on three continents. As sustainability is the guiding principle of the Mercedes‑Benz strategy and for the company itself, this means creating lasting value for all stakeholders: for customers, employees, investors, business partners and society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of the Mercedes‑Benz Group. The company thus takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.
Mercedes-Benz in the UK at a glance
Mercedes-Benz UK is the sales and marketing organisation responsible for all Mercedes-Benz Cars and services in Britain. As well as selling cars, parts, and services, the company runs Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands – a brand experience centre in Weybridge, Surrey. Mercedes-Benz World has welcomed over three million visitors since it opened in 2006. The UK is also home to Mercedes-Benz High Performance Powertrains and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula 1™ team.
1 Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. Figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the starting charge of the battery, factory-fitted options, accessories fitted (post registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Further information about the test used to establish range, power consumption and CO₂ figures can be found at http://www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/WLTP
2 Specified voltage and current values refer to network infrastructure and can be limited by the vehicle. DC charging on the CLA can only be achieved at an 800 V DC charger unless the vehicle is specified with the direct current charging system
3 The recommended on-the-road price includes the Road Fund Licence applicable to the standard model plus delivery charge (£780.00 incl. VAT), new vehicle registration fee (£55.00) and number plates (£25.00 incl. VAT). VAT is calculated at the standard rate of 20%
Originally published by Mercedes-Benz
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