Mercedes-Benz CLA, Volkswagen ID.2 and BMW Neue Klasse iX3: the German fightback on Auto Rádio

Hannah Whitfield • June 06, 2026 13:47

Germany’s industrial machine has rarely come under such intense scrutiny. A wave of new competitors is now managing something that would have sounded unthinkable a few years ago: taking bites out of the European car industry’s heavyweight.

A significant part of the challenge is coming from China, where Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen are heavily exposed. And conditions in Europe are hardly any friendlier. Tighter regulation, the energy transition and the rapid arrival of Chinese brands are putting pressure on the German giants on a scale we have not seen for a very long time-if ever.

That is precisely why Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen cannot afford to misstep with their next model push. The aim is straightforward: make a statement, win back market share and reclaim the spotlight.

This was the starting point for another episode of Auto Rádio, a Razão Automóvel podcast supported by PiscaPisca.pt. We discussed the current situation in Germany and focused on three models set to be pivotal over the next few years: the Mercedes-Benz CLA, the Volkswagen ID.2 and the first model from BMW’s new Neue Klasse family, the new iX3.

What comes next for Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen?

Volkswagen ID.2: a return to basics

With the ID.2, Volkswagen is leaning back into its roots, positioning this model to do for electric cars what the Golf did for combustion-powered models.

With a starting price of around €25,000, the ID.2 wants to become the new “people’s car”. And it is not relying on price alone: Volkswagen is promising up to 450 km of range (WLTP cycle) along with plenty of space.

In fact, that packaging is one of the ID.2’s biggest calling cards. The claim is Polo-like exterior dimensions with Golf-like interior room. The ID.2all prototype previewing the production ID.2 quoted a 490-litre boot-110 litres more than the Golf.

BMW Neue Klasse iX3: rethinking the electric car

At BMW, the task looks even more ambitious: to change the way it builds an electric car from the ground up. The brand is doing that via a new model family called Neue Klasse-a name it previously used in the 1960s, which went on to shape what BMW would become in the decades that followed. For BMW, the importance of the Neue Klasse to the company’s future could hardly be greater.

The first Neue Klasse model to arrive-already this year-will be the iX3 SUV. It brings a new EV-specific platform (800 V), new cylindrical battery cells and new electric motors.

The promise is a major step forward in efficiency, which should also translate into longer ranges than BMW’s current electric cars.

Mercedes-Benz CLA: MMA platform and standout efficiency

Switching to Mercedes-Benz, the Stuttgart marque recently unveiled one of its most important models of the decade: the new CLA, which we have already seen first-hand in Rome, Italy. Take a look:

As well as introducing the next chapter of Mercedes-Benz’s design language, the new CLA is the first of four new models to use the new MMA (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture) platform. It supports multi-energy powertrains and will underpin the brand’s new entry-level line-up.

Mercedes-Benz is promising benchmark efficiency from the new CLA, whether in fully electric form-12 kWh/100 km and up to 792 km of range-or as a mild-hybrid, with its petrol engine targeting consumption similar to a Diesel engine.