Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake Debuts for Europe

CLA’s swoopy lines translate well to a long-roof bodystyle.

Joseph CapparellaWriter

The compact Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will parallel its CLS big brother by adding a stylish new Shooting Brake variant, at least for Europe. Available in both standard CLA and CLA45 AMG versions, this new wagon offers a bit more cargo space and practicality, but isn't likely to come to the U.S. anytime soon.

This isn't the first time we've seen a CLA Shooting Brake, as we spied this model testing before. Sure enough, the production version displays the same sloping rear end, and this extended roofline looks particularly good combined with the swoopy bodywork of the CLA. Luggage capacity is, predictably, bigger than in the sedan, and there's more rear headroom as well. The CLA Shooting Brake is also more aerodynamic than the sedan, with a low 0.22 drag coefficient.

As the Mercedes-Benz CLA is based on the A-Class hatchback which isn't sold here, the European version of the CLA Shooting Brake gets a wide range of diesel and gasoline engines ranging from a 100-hp diesel four-cylinder up to the 2.0-liter turbocharged four that's sold in the U.S. as the CLA250. Then, of course, there's the rip-roaring CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake, which comes standard with the same raucous 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 360 hp and powering all four wheels through 4Matic all-wheel drive.

When it goes on sale in January, the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake will join the growing family of Mercedes-Benz compacts, which include the A-, B-, CLA-, and GLA-Class models. Don't hold out hope for the CLA Shooting Brake to come to the U.S., especially since the company already sells the GLA-Class crossover here in both GLA250 and GLA45 AMG forms.

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