r/mercedes_benz • u/treebeard87_vn • 17h ago
The CLA 2026 does not use Geely engine
https://m.d1ev.com/news/qiye/259893Oliver Locher, senior executive vice president at Mercedes-Benz China Investment, has refuted the rumour that the new CLA will use an Geely engine. Previously Chinese websites reported that the CLA would use an engine made by Geely and HORSE or that Geely's Thor electric hybrid 8848 system would be used.
The engine is actually 100% developed by Mercedes. Another spokesperson from Mercedes says that the automaker cooperates with Geely on some engine parts, but the engine is produced in-house. It seems to be true though that the Mercedes is having software problems. The management says testing is being rigorously carried out and they will hopefully keep up with the schedule and production will begin in 2025. Chinese websites report that production is delayed to August from April due to software issues.
Another source:
17
u/Salty_Lakes 14h ago
You are mixing up words here. As you can hear from the chief development engineer of the CLA program HERE, the 1.5 Hybrid ICE engine was developed and tested by Mercedes in house, however it will not be produced by Mercedes. It will be produced by Geely, so it's indeed made in China by Geely. Just like an iPhone, 15 Pro is developed and engineered by Apple but produced in China, with a Made in China label on it.
3
0
u/treebeard87_vn 14h ago
Mix what? My Chinese sources are very recent and it comes from the Mercedes Benz management in China. It is very clear. I am not Chinese but the language is one of the requirements for my job. I don't need Google Translate. I don't see the part you are talking about in the video either. Can you give the exact minute?
4
u/Salty_Lakes 13h ago edited 13h ago
The link i provided when pressing "HERE" should link to the timestamp. It's at 12:44, you can go there manually if it doesn't work. You are mixing production and development, saying the engine will be produced by Mercedes, which it will not. The engine will be produced by Geely in China, and that's what Mercedes chief engineer of the CLA development program is saying himself.
Edit: Your source is wrong saying the engine is produced by Mercedes, contradicting Mercedes themselves, downvoting won't change that.
-3
u/treebeard87_vn 13h ago edited 13h ago
Nowhere in the video does he say it is produced by Geely in China. I actually watched this one before you recommended it to me. But I wanted to know whether I missed something, instead of just assuming the person who was talking to me had language related difficulties or a Chinese investor or even a paid propagandist. The reporter's question was also about whether there were Chinese parts or not, not whether the engine was made in China or not.
15
u/Salty_Lakes 13h ago
Maybe you should continue watching for more than 10 seconds...at 13:22:
Mercedes Engineer:
"Yeah, you might be referring to the combustion engine?"
"The combustion engine is a 100% in house developed engine."
"But it will be produced by our partner Geely."
Reporter:
"Oh i see, so developed in house and then made by [Geely]"
Mercedes Engineer:
"Yes"
It really can't be more clear than that, he literally says the ICE engine is developed by Mercedes and NOT produced by Mercedes, but by Geely. Geely doesn't produce in Germany but in China. The Smart car is also produced in China by Geely and sold in Germany for years. The very same way, the CLA ICE engine will be produced by Geely in China.
-9
u/treebeard87_vn 13h ago edited 11h ago
In any case Stegmaier manages the electric program. The New Year interview of Mercedes managers in China should be considered the official source. This is coming from a big official meeting of Mercedes managers in China with journalists in which they discussed all the current rumours circulating over matters from dealerships to engines to self driving, not a casual meeting in which someone made a remark about what they had heard about another department. If Geely does not refute this I don't see any reason to doubt it.
The notable Chinese automative websites all trust the official statement of the Mercedes team in China over other previous sources and correct their previous reports. Maybe people like you could do that too.
4
u/Mr_Ga 10h ago
Maybe you’re wrong too. Maybe what you think is fact, isn’t. And honestly, who cares. It’s a CLA, it’s barely a Mercedes.
-3
u/treebeard87_vn 10h ago edited 9h ago
I don't say what is fact. The thing is what should be considered the official statement. Let's say if Geely developed the whole thing and produced it, but Mercedes can still claim all the credit and the copyrights they want with Geely being unable to do anything about it right there in China, what does that say about Geely?
Another thing is somehow English speaking channels have caught on the rumours that favoured the Chinese side very quickly but totally do not bother to care about official statements. When the media give out unevent treatment, why should I suspect foul play on the side of the underrepresented?
4
u/SlightGuess 10h ago
At this point who cares.
I drove through a Mercedes lot a few days ago and what a sad state of affairs - not a single model caught my eye or made me excited in any way. Just a sea of black and grey SUVs that looked mostly the same except for maybe a G or two.
12
u/[deleted] 17h ago
[deleted]