New Mercedes-Benz CLA spawns 469-mile estate for sub-£50k

Mercedes-Benz's first electric estate, the new CLA Shooting Brake, is now on sale, with prices starting at less than £50,000. 

Due early next year, the long-roof version of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA electric saloon is offered in either rear-wheel-drive 250 guise, from £47,750 (around £2000 more than the saloon) or as the four-wheel-drive 350 4Matic, from £56,235. 

Like the technically identical saloon, the CLA Shooting Brake will also be offered soon after launch with a petrol hybrid option, which is expected to be substantially cheaper.

Both versions of the EQ-badged EV use an 85kWh battery pack, which gives the more efficient single-motor car, with 268bhp, a maximum range of 469 miles - making it the longest-range estate in the UK. The 349bhp dual-motor car maxes out at 451 miles.

Both can be rapid-charged at a rate of 320kW, which means the CLA Shooting Brake EQ is also among the fastest-charging EVs in the UK.

Five trim levels are available: Sport, Sport Executive, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus, with prices for the top-spec 350 4Matic climbing to £60,785. 

The CLA Shooting Brake EQ is sized and priced to fill the gap between more mainstream estate EV options like the Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Electric and Peugeot e-308 SW and larger premium models like the BMW i5 Touring and Audi A6 Avant E-tron.

It's expected to remain without any direct rivals until BMW and Audi launch electric versions of the next 3 Series Touring and A4 Avant respectively. 

Compared with the previous CLA Shooting Brake, the new model is 35mm longer (at 4723mm) and 27mm taller (1469mm), with its wheelbase stretched by 61mm (2790mm).