THIS CAR IS SO SMART, IT WANTS TO BE YOUR FRIEND

Alistair Charlton tries out the AI tech on the Mercedes-Benz CLA

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The new Mercedes-Benz CLA might look like a simple update on the outside, but under the skin, it's an all-new car. Mercedes has installed an 800-volt electric architecture that unlocks faster and has more efficient charging. This lets the CLA fill its next-generation 85 kWh battery at up to 320 kW or, in plain English, it can add up to 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

The total range is a claimed 492 miles, and it can achieve an efficiency of just over five miles per kWh, partly thanks to the drivetrain's efficiency but also the CLA’s extra-slippery aerodynamics.