The fifth—and by far our favorite—iteration of Mercedes-Benz’s latest front-wheel-drive platform, the CLA Shooting Brake, arrives with the ability to haul more stuff and melt plenty of hearts. (The others: A-class hatch, B-class hatch, CLA-class sedan, and GLA-class crossover.) No, this little brother to the CLS Shooting Brake won’t come here, but we can at least dig on the photos and info.
The CLA Shooting Brake features a fast, tapering roofline—and four doors, unlike a traditional shooting brake—and will be offered with a number of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, with output starting at a rather pedestrian 120 horsepower. The range-topper is, naturally, the CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake, which gets the same high-output, 355-hp 2.0-liter turbo four as the sedan version and the GLA45. Zero to 62 mph for that one is said to take 4.7 seconds—likely conservative, as we clocked the sedan to 60 in 4.2—and top speed is governed at 155 mph.
Outside, the hot-rod version is fitted with the same body kit that sets the AMG sedan apart from its lesser siblings, and it also incorporates a roof spoiler with a Gurney flap. To take the aggressive look to its obvious, citrusy conclusion, Daimler will offer an “OrangeArt Edition” that will feature a whole mess of orange accenting the grille opening, wheels, interior stitching, and more. The package will be available on the CLA250 Sport Shooting Brake and the CLA45 AMG sedan, too.
Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Tested: This Thing Has a Weapons-Grade Engine
Take Notes: Mercedes Announces New Nomenclature
Mercedes-Benz CLA-class Pricing, Specs, Photos, News, Reviews, and More
While the GLA-class obviates the need for this in the eyes of most customers and MBUSA, we know which five-door hatchback model we’d rather see in American Benz dealerships. Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go grab some Icy Hot—our arms are sore from continually beating the wagon drum.
