These are the latest spy pics of the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake, which has been scooped during winter testing in northern Scandinavia. The swoopy new estate reaches UK showrooms in November.
The Shooting Brake is inspired by the traditional custom-built, two-door shooting brake and is Mercedes’ stylish yet practical alternative to the Audi A7 and the BMW 5-series GT. It is among a series of new design-led niche models designed to help further build the firm's image, in a range of cars that will also include a smaller CLC Shooting Brake spun off the new B-class’s MFA platform.
The front styling mirrors that of the recently introduced second-generation CLS four-door, including its gaping grille and LED headlight design. The rear of the car is unique to the standard CLS, however, featuring a heavily angled rear window, top-hinged tailgate and large, LED-enhanced tail-lights extending well into the rear wings.
Although load capacity will be increased over the standard CLS, it’s clear from the pictures that the Shooting Brake will not rival the E-class estate in this department.
Engines will mirror those in the standard CLS, including four-cylinder 2.1-litre and 3.0-litre V6 diesels, and 3.5-litre V6 and turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 petrols. A fire-breathing twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 AMG model is also tipped for launch
