Mercedes-Benz is making a change that plenty of CLA owners will notice immediately — and probably won't be thrilled about. According to German outlets, the full-width light bar connecting the taillights is disappearing from the options list starting with the 2026–2 model year update. And this time, you won't be able to buy your way back to it.
Until now, the fully illuminated bridge between the taillights only came bundled with the adaptive MULTIBEAM LED headlights. Standard cars kept the center section dark, so at night the taillights looked split in two. That “broken” look is now becoming the standard for the entire lineup — regardless of which headlight package a buyer chooses.
The change applies to both the four-door CLA and the Shooting Brake wagon, as well as the electric models in the 174 series and the hybrids in the 178 series. The adaptive MULTIBEAM LED headlights themselves aren't going anywhere — this unification only touches the rear light signature.
Performance, safety, and energy consumption are untouched. For buyers, the whole difference comes down to looks: paying extra for the fancier headlight tech no longer buys you a different-looking rear end. Mercedes-Benz hasn't given an official reason for the unification, so linking it to production cost savings would be premature for now.
Mercedes-Benz previously rolled out turnkey charging infrastructure for businesses through a partnership with ChargePoint.
