The new Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake unveiled

The Mercedes Shooting Brake is the final new body style to be based on the company’s front-drive architecture. It is set to go on sale in the UK in January 2015, with first deliveries in March.

The seats-up load capacity of the 4.6m-long Shooting Brake improves on that of the CLA saloon by 25 litres, at 495 litres, rising to 1354 litres with the rear seats folded. Neither the Audi A3 nor the BMW 1-series offer anything similar. On the downside, however, Mercedes was late to market with a compact SUV model.

The CLA Shooting Brake is very closely aligned with the CLA saloon. Mercedes UK says that as well as being identical up to the rear seats, it’s pricing and specification line-up will be very similar.  There are four trim levels: Sport, AMG Sport, Engineered by AMG, and AMG. In addition, there is a special-edition model called Orange Art.

At launch, the engine line-up consists of two diesel options and four petrols. The most efficient option in the launch line-up, the CLA200 CDI, returns up to 72.4mpg, with CO2 emissions of 101g/km.  A further two diesel engines, the CLA200 CDI 4Matic and CLA220 CDI 4Matic, will arrive in September next year. The four-wheel-drive CLA250 4Matic model will be offered only in Engineered by AMG spec.

A new Mercedes CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake, powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine developing 355bhp and 332lb ft, has also been revealed. The engine is described by Mercedes as being the most powerful four-cylinder unit in series production. The CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake is able to reach 62mph in 4.7sec and has a limited top speed of 155mph. The model will make its debut at the Geneva motor show in March next year, with UK sales due to start at the same time. Expect to pay around £25,500 for the basic version and rise to just over £43,000 for the CLA45 AMG version.