No Demand Report: Mercedes Halts Production of the CLA L in China

Related Vendor

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

Due to lack of demand, Mercedes is reportedly halting production of the CLA L long version, specifically developed for China.

The production of the electric Mercedes CLA L in China has apparently been temporarily halted. This was reported by the magazine *Auto Motor und Sport*, citing the brand blog mbpassion, which in turn refers to industry sources. According to the report, there has been no official confirmation from Mercedes-Benz so far.

The most likely reason is considered to be the weak sales figures of the model: according to the report, only 627 units of the long version, specifically developed for the Chinese market, were sold in China in the first half of 2026. The monthly registration numbers fluctuated significantly and recently collapsed entirely: after 35 vehicles in January and 21 in February, registrations temporarily rose to 358 units in March, before dropping to 52 in April and 161 in May. For June, the statistics reportedly show not a single new registration.

Launched as a Beacon of Hope

The CLA L was intended to give Mercedes-Benz a fresh start in the Chinese electric car market. The model is based on the new MMA platform, features an 800-volt architecture, and uses the new "MB.OS" operating system. For the Chinese market, the wheelbase was extended by four centimeters (approx. 1.6 inches) to 2.83 meters (approx. 9.3 feet) compared to the European version, and the overall length grew to 4.76 meters (approx. 15.6 feet).

The model was also technically adapted to local expectations: according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, the CLA L achieves a range of up to 860 kilometers (approx. 534 miles), compared to up to 792 kilometers (492 miles) under WLTP in Europe. For software integration, Mercedes is also cooperating in China with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

Challenging Market Environment for Western Automakers

2025 was not a good year for Western car manufacturers in China. German automakers are no exception. Volkswagen's sales in China fell by eight percent compared to the previous year. BMW sold 12.5 percent fewer cars in China last year. For Mercedes-Benz, it was a decline of 19 percent.

According to a recent report by the German Press Agency, the situation for manufacturers worsened in 2026: Porsche's deliveries in China fell by 32 percent in the first half of the year, Mercedes by 28 percent since January. BMW's sales dropped by 20 percent over the same period, and Audi's by 19 percent.

Top 100 Suppliers

China's Speed is Second to None

BMW, Mercedes, and VW Reacted Late

For a long time, German brands were primarily criticized for missing the electric car trend in China—lacking attractive models with modern technology. BMW's "Neue Klasse" platform and Mercedes' "MMA" (Mercedes Modular Architecture) are intended to fill this gap. Volkswagen, on the other hand, relies on locally developed vehicles, partially from the partnership with Xpeng.

VW is still one of the market leaders in the shrinking market for combustion engine cars in China. However, this could not prevent the worst half-year for the Chinese branch in 16 years.