Euro NCAP Names Electric Mercedes-Benz CLA Safest Car of 2025

Euro NCAP and Mercedes-Benz Media report that the electric CLA topped all 2025 safety tests. Learn how it achieved the highest overall rating.

The new all-electric Mercedes-Benz CLA has been named the safest car tested by Euro NCAP in 2025. The model achieved the maximum five-star rating and recorded the highest overall score among all vehicles assessed during the year, regardless of segment or manufacturer.

The result was secured through strong performance across all four Euro NCAP safety categories: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assist systems. This means the electric CLA not only leads the small family car segment but also ranks as the overall best-performing vehicle of 2025.

During crash testing, the CLA demonstrated a high level of protection in both frontal and side impacts. Euro NCAP experts highlighted the stable passenger cell, effective energy absorption, and the performance of restraint systems. The assessment also noted the presence of measures designed to reduce the risk of occupant-to-occupant injuries in side-impact scenarios, alongside strong results for child safety, including correct system behavior when child seats are installed.

The vehicle also scored highly in the protection of pedestrians and cyclists, one of the most demanding areas of the current Euro NCAP protocols. With one of the highest vulnerable road user scores recorded in 2025, the electric CLA reflects the growing emphasis on safeguarding all road users, not only those inside the vehicle.

Driver assistance systems played a significant role in the overall rating. Under the 2025 assessment framework, Euro NCAP evaluated technologies such as lane support, speed assistance, and autonomous emergency braking. Across these areas, the electric CLA delivered results above the market average.

The achievement continues a broader pattern for Mercedes-Benz: in the previous year, the E-Class was named Euro NCAP’s Best Performer. At the same time, the 2025 rankings underline a wider industry shift, with electric vehicles occupying all top positions across the main safety categories.

Against the backdrop of upcoming Euro NCAP protocol changes scheduled for 2026, which are expected to raise the bar for safety ratings even further, the performance of the electric CLA stands out. It suggests that advanced safety standards are increasingly being integrated at the earliest stages of vehicle development rather than added later in the product cycle.