The firm’s smallest saloon will be revealed soon and will compete with BMW’s 2 Series Gran Coupe and Audi A3 Saloon.

It’s a 1.5-liter four-cylinder called the M252, which is related to Mercedes’ larger 3.0-liter straight-six, the M256, but its focus is purely on efficiency. It meets the stringent new EU7 emissions standard, which will be enforced starting in 2026, which aside from exhaust will also take tire and brake emissions into account.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is poised to vault from the bottom of the lineup to the pinnacle, at least in terms of powertrain tech, when the next-generation model goes on sale next year. The first model on the new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) introduces an 800-volt battery pack that unlocks blazing fast charging,