Mercedes is also bucking the traditional method of introducing a new platform as an ICE vehicle and then wedging the design into an EV platform. Instead, the company is going “EV first,” launching the CLA as an EV first and then later as an internal combustion with a mild hybrid in 2026.

Mercedes-Benz launched the CLA, a true Tesla Model 3 killer, but it's unlikely people will notice, considering sedans have fallen out of favor with customers

Is the next big thing in electric vehicles going to be the sedan? It’s a sign of how dominated the automotive market — at least in the United States — is by trucks and SUVs that an uptick in high-profile sedans feels borderline-revolutionary,