Spied: Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG Gets Roomier with Shooting Brake Version

Perhaps one of the untold reasons why automakers call sporty-styled saloons with slanted rooflines "4-door coupes" is to hint at the restricted coupe-like headroom for rear passengers and to some extent, the luggage area. Mercedes plans to, if not correct; at least improve these shortcomings on the CLA with the introduction of a Shooting Brake model, which is Benz-talk for a stylish estate.

Mercedes CLA 45 AMG Hits the 400PS Mark, Courtesy of Brabus

For most people, the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG has plenty of power and sporty enough looks. Not for Brabus, though, as the German aftermarket specialist has released a styling kit for the most powerful CLA model. 

Mercedes Adds Third Shift at CLA Plant in Hungary on Strong Demand

Mercedes’ compact car plant in Kecskemét, Hungary will soon work at full capacity as the carmaker has announced the addition of a third shift in May. The plant builds the CLA four-door coupe and the B-Class and complements the Rastatt facility in Germany, where the A-Class, B-Class and GLA are assembled. The Rastatt plant has been operating in three-shift mode since October 2012.

New Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake Spied on the Road

Here's our first and admittedly, very revealing look at the upcoming addition to Mercedes-Benz's range, the CLA Shooting Brake, which will join the sleek sedan model sometime next year, though, it's still not clear if the Germans will release the estate in the United States.

As predicted, the CLA Shooting Brake follows the same styling philosophy as its bigger, much pricier and more luxurious brother, the CLS Shooting Brake, with a curvy roofline and heavily slanted rear hatch for a more dynamic appearance than your traditional station wagon model.

Besides its more practical and roomier body style at the back, everything else is shared with the front- and all-wheel drive CLA saloon, including the engine range of four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline and diesel mills.

The question remains whether Mercedes will offer an AMG 45 version with its pumped 355hp (360PS) 2.0-liter force-fed four on the CLA Shooting Brake.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS

PHOTO GALLERY

Consumer Reports Says Mercedes CLA Has the Looks, but Falls Short on Substance

You must know what you’re getting yourself into when purchasing a Mercedes-Benz CLA, a car that apart from the styling and badge is, worlds away from any Three Pointed Star sedan to come before it. It’s front-wheel drive, it’s not particularly spacious or practical, nor is it as cosseting as a Benz should be to drive or/and be in.

These are some of the conclusions drawn in this first drive of the CLA done by Consumer Reports. Their car is a CLA250 model, the one most will go for in the States, though they called it poorly equipped in and around its base price of just under thirty grand.

They moved that closer to forty ($36,500) by ticking not that many boxes at all: a ‘premium package,’ special paint, opening panoramic glass roof, wood trim inside and bi-xenon headlights.

In the end, they were not won over by it, primarily because it doesn’t feel like a Mercedes ought to and the attractively low youth-corrupting starting price quickly rises and the CLA almost ends up costing just as much as the proper rear-wheel driven Mercs that we’re used to.

Check out the full video below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Mercedes Announces New 4MATIC System Tailored for FWD Models, Debuts on CLA

For many years, 4MATIC has been Mercedes-Benz’s designation for its all-wheel drive models, from the C- to the CL-Class and of course its ever-growing portfolio of SUVs.
Despite the common name, the German manufacturer offered no less than four different AWD systems, depending on the model and its customers’ needs – i.e., a G-Wagen has a different system than a CLS.

Mercedes-Benz Releases Pictures and Video of New CLA and CLA 45 AMG

According to the crew over at the German-language Mercedes-Benz Passion website, the brand with the star has shared a multitude of pictures and a video of the upcoming CLA compact sports saloon ahead of the car's world premiere at the Detroit motor show in mid-January next year.

Mercedes-Benz Officially Confirms A-Class-Based Compact SUV

The Audi Q3 and BMW X1 will soon have a rival from Stuttgart in the premium compact crossover segment as Mercedes-Benz officially confirmed the development of an A-Class-based SUV.
Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche made the announcement during a conference at Mercedes' Rastatt plant in Germany on the start of production of the revamped A-Class hatchback.
"This start of production marks a further milestone in our Mercedes-Benz 2020 growth strategy. The A-Class represents our offensive in the compact segment," said Zetsche. "And there is more to come: The compact SUV will be the third model we will build here in Rastatt."