New CLA headlining Mercedes-Benz’s 2026 local product roll-out

Mercedes-Benz South Africa has provided a product outlook for 2026, approving no less than five previously unconfirmed models for the local market.

Announced at its 140th anniversary celebrations on the outskirts of Pretoria last week, the line-up also involves two products each from the Vans and Maybach divisions.

Known arrivals

Already confirmed are the Night Edition of the A-Class, outgoing CLA and GLA based on the respective 200 AMG Line variants.

Included further is the AMG CLA 45 S Final Edition, which has an allocation of 15 units, and the realigned diesel-powered GLC range.

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Debuting later is the effective more affordable replacement for the GLC 300, the GLC 200 4Matic, which will sit below the GLC 220d.

Coming…

New CLA

Taking prominence, the second quarter of the year will see the arrival of the all-new CLA.

Revealed in March last year, the first model to ride on the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) platform will be rolled out in two stages.

Arriving first, the 200 will use the mild-hybrid 1.5-litre turbocharged engine outputting 120kW/250Nm, with the electric source adding 22 kW for short bursts.

Debuting later, the all-electric CLA 250+ utilises an 85-kWh battery pack powering a single electric motor on the rear axle.

The result is 200kW/335Nm, a limited top speed of 210 km/h, 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and a claimed range of 792 km.

Sprinter Inkanyezi XL

On the Vans side, the Sprinter Inkanyezi now offers an XL model, still with 23-seats, but with more legroom.

Arriving five years after the original, the locally converted XL is based on the Sprinter 516 CDI, which means outputs of 110kW/380Nm from the OM 654 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine.

Buyers will have a choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or the 7G Tronic automatic.

VLE

Showing itself on 10 March, the production VLE will effectively replace the current EQV 400 as Benz’s first dedicated electric van.

Riding on the vans-only platform called VAN.EA, the newcomer’s exact local market debut is still to be finalised.

Maybach SL 680

On the Maybach side, the first-ever SL-based model, the 680 Monogram, will become available badged as the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680.

Riding on 21-inch wheels, with the option of the now trademark mono-bloc alloys, the SL 680 will have an unspecified limited unit allocation for South Africa.

Unveiled two years ago, power comes from a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 that sends 430kW/800Nm to all four wheels through the 9G Tronic ‘box.

Maybach S680 V12 Edition

Also shown last year, the commemorative Maybach S680 V12 Edition will be even rarer as only two of the 50 units Mercedes-Maybach will produce will come to South Africa.

Celebrating the Maybach brand’s V12 Zeppelin models of the 1930s, the Edition offers up 450kW/1 000Nm from its 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12, allowing it to get from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.

Compared to the regular Maybach S680, the Edition receives special “12” gold badges, a “1 of 50” badge on the centre console and silver-plated champagne flutes to name but a few.

Inspired by the Zeppelin, the Edition 12 will have a single colour, Olive Metallic and Obsidian Black. A saddle brown Nappa leather interior will also be the sole choice.

Unconfirmed

Elsewhere, Mercedes-Benz has made no mention of the new generation GLB and GLC, nor the upcoming updated GLE and GLS.

Launched exactly 140 years after the Benz Patent Motor Wagen, the facelift S-Class is still to be confirmed for the local market.

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