The new Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake has finally been revealed before going on sale in November as a 2013 model.
With the British penchant for estates – and love of what is the most stylish of Mercedes – you’d think the UK would get a nice big range of models of the new CLS Shooting Brake to choose from, but it seems not.
We won’t, for example, be getting the 3.5-litre V6 in the CLS350 Shooting Brake and nor will we be getting the 402bhp twin-turbo 4.6-litre V8 in the CLS500.
We also won’t be getting the option of Mercedes 4WD 4Matic on the CLS350 CDI and CLS500 Shooting Brake because it seems Mercedes don’t want to spend the money to engineer the RHD CLS to offer us power to all wheels. Shame.
What we will be getting is a pair of diesel-engined CLS Shooting Brakes – the CLS250 CDI and CLS350 CDI – which is all fine and dandy but really does limit the appeal of such an overtly sporting estate car.
But the paltry pair of CLS Shooting Brakes Mercedes has deigned to sell in the UK are still appealing.
The CLS250 CDI Shooting Brake gets a 2.2L 4-cylinder diesel engine with 204bhp and 500NM of torque, an official economy of 53.3 mpg (and therefore emissions of 139g/km) and can get to 62mph in 7.8 seconds.
The 3.0L V6 diesel in the CLS350 CDI Shooting Brake is rather more interesting with 265bhp, 620NM of torque, 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and official economy of 47mpg.
In terms of style and features it’s much the same as the CLS Coupe.Saloon, certainly as far back as the front seats. Behind that the back seat will take three and the surprisingly cavernous boot can be lines with cherry wood and aluminium and looks very stylish, although the dogs will take a pounding when you push on a bit.
What we should get in the UK in 2013 is the CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake which will get the 5.5 litre turbo V8 and be a proper hot estate car. Watch this space.
Mercedes has plenty to say about the new CLS Shooting Brake, so we’ve put the press release up for you to peruse and there’s a big gallery of Shooting Brake photos below.
The 2013 Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake goes on sale in the UK in November.
2013 Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake Photos
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