Svelte new Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake on sale now with 469-mile range
The CLA Shooting Brake trades a bit of range compared to the saloon but adds a healthy dose of practicality
The estate genre might not be the most fashionable right now, but clearly no one has told Mercedes - which has launched the CLA Shooting Brake.
On sale now, the Shooting Brake comes with a five-strong trim level structure and two powertrain configurations - a single-motor and a dual-motor. Like the four-door CLA saloon, the Shooting Brake will only be offered as an EV to begin with, but hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hot AMG models join the line-up within 12 months.
The CLA Shooting Brake kicks off in 250+ guise from £47,750. That’ll get you into the Sport trim with the Sport Executive rising to £49,900 ahead of the £52,285 AMG Line Executive, the £54,185 AMG Line Premium and finally the £56,885 AMG Line Premium Plus.
The dual-motor 350+ can only be had in mid-range AMG Line Executive and above, costing from £56,235. As expected, the Shooting Brake is more expensive than its saloon sibling, which you can buy for around £46,000 through our Buy a Car service.
The Shooting Brake gets the same amount of kit as the saloon with Sport trim offering a 14-inch central screen complete with selfie and video camera, a fixed panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights and adaptive cruise control.
Sport Executive adds heat-insulating tinted windows, flush-fitting door handles, keyless go, ambient lighting and wireless smartphone charging. AMG Line Executive gets a sporty AMG bodykit, exterior lighting, a sports steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather and sports seats.
AMG Line Premium gets the huge MBUX Superscreen that incorporates a passenger display, two-zone climate control, extra features within the infotainment like remote vehicle monitoring and MBUX voice assistant. The most lavishly-equipped AMG Line Premium Plus comes with multibeam LED headlights (which blanks off where oncoming traffic is situated), heated steering wheel, Burmester sound system, head-up display and Mercedes’ ‘Pre-safe’ collision system.
The key differences between the saloon and Shooting Brake are of course to do with the body, which opens up the luggage space to 455 litres, rising to 1,290 litres with the second row folded flat. This is a 30-litre reduction over the previous-generation CLA Shooting Brake, or 60 litres with the seats down. That said, it can be supplemented on electric models with a further 101 litres of storage space under the bonnet.
An added bonus is improved headroom in the second row on account of the higher roofline. Elements like roof rails with a 75kg weight rating and an optional towbar with 1,800kg of towing capacity combine to create a far more versatile package, too. Begs the question: who needs an SUV?
Dig a little further into the details and you’ll notice the CLA Shooting Brake also features a couple of quiet updates to the cabin that we’ll also see on the saloon. This starts with a new steering wheel with roller-wheel controls that replace the old car’s touch-capacitive buttons on the upper spokes. The Shooting Brake’s glass roof also features an electrochromic function to act as a virtual sunshade, plus an array of illuminated stars connected to the interior ambient lighting.
These frills don’t reduce the impact of the CLA’s impressive capabilities, though, all of which are underpinned by a new MMA platform and its innate efficiency. The long-range CLA 250+ that combines a single, rear-mounted electric motor with 268bhp and an 85kWh battery pack. Mercedes quotes a maximum range of 469 miles, only 15 miles down on the slipperier, lighter saloon and leagues ahead of potential rivals. This impressive range helped the saloon CLA take victory against the Tesla Model 3 when we pitched them against each other.
The CLA Shooting Brake has very few direct competitors, however. The Tesla Model Y is an SUV alternative, but one that doesn’t feature such impressive range figures, topping out at 383 miles for the single-motor long range model. A Polestar 2 is less practical, and Volvo’s mechanically related EC40 with the extended range battery will only just crack 350 miles on a charge.
As for the dual-motor CLA 350 variant fitted with the same 85kWh battery pack. This produces 348bhp and drops the 0-62mph time from 6.8 to just five seconds, yet retains the ability to do more than 451 miles on the official WLTP cycle. A CLA 250 with a smaller battery pack will also be available down the line.
The MMA platform integrates an 800V architecture, supporting up to 320kW charging that’ll see the battery gain around 200 miles in as little as 10 minutes. The CLA saloon has been criticised for not accepting 400V charging infrastructure at launch, which essentially limits its ability to work with a majority of public fast-chargers here in the UK. This issue has since been addressed and for £850 there’s the optional direct current charger to enable owners to charge the CLA Shooting Brake at 400V DC stations.
The CLA Shooting Brake range will eventually expand to include a high performance AMG model - which we’ve already spotted undergoing testing. We also expect to see a range of hybrid-assisted ICE models to ensure those not ready to make the switch to EV still have options.
Did you know you can buy a new Mercedes CLA, or search for great used Mercedes CLA models with our Buy A Car Service?
