SINGAPORE – The latest Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ has a dual identity. It is the most powerful version of the CLA available in Singapore and also the German carmaker’s most affordable electric car here. And this can work either for or against it.

Like the petrol-hybrid CLA200 launched at the Singapore Motorshow in January and reviewed by The Straits Times in March, the fully electric CLA250+ is Mercedes’ “Baby Benz” – the gateway into ownership of the three-pointed star.

This is the first electric CLA and it looks identical to the petrol-hybrid version, down to the naming convention. The move signals Mercedes’ shift away from its earlier strategy of separating electric models under the EQ sub-brand.

Until an AMG version arrives – and it inevitably will – the CLA250+ is the quickest CLA on sale in Singapore.

Compared with the CLA200’s 163hp hybrid drivetrain, the CLA250+ produces 200kW (272hp) and 335Nm of torque from a rear-mounted electric motor, slashing the century sprint time from eight seconds to 6.7 seconds.

On the move, power delivery to the rear axle is smooth and immediate. The CLA250+ glides along with the near-silent refinement expected of an electric vehicle (EV). Even at expressway speeds, wind and tyre noises are impressively subdued for a compact sedan.