New CLA Shooting Brake is Merc’s first EV wagon

While it’s hard to move for battery powered SUVs right now, the electric estate remains a far rarer breed. There’s the i5 Touring and A6 Avant, yes, plus the ID.7 Tourer (which is really good), but not much else besides. There isn’t even a Volvo yet. So the arrival of a CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology is reasonably important; always interesting but a niche seller, it’s now Mercedes’ first EV estate. Surely it won’t be the last. 

It’s a bigger car than the old CLA SB, growing by 35mm in length, 25mm in width, 27mm in height and, probably most importantly, 61mm in wheelbase. Passengers up front get more legroom than before, passengers in the rear get a tiny bit less, and all benefit from some extra headroom. Boot capacity for the CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology is 455 litres with the seats up and 1,290 with them down – 20 and 60 litres less, respectively, than the combustion engined model. But then the old car didn’t have 100 litres of frunk up front. The boot also boasts an EASY-PACK tailgate (whatever one of those us), four tiedown anchors, a side net and a 12-volt socket, so there’s some substance for the style. Mercedes says the socket might work for a picnic cooler. Interestingly towing capacity (now it really is a family weekend away) is up for rear-wheel drive CLA models, from 1,400kg to 1,500kg braked; it’s 1,800kg for the all-wheel drive 350 4Matic, or ‘a considerable towing capacity for an electric vehicle in this segment’ according to Mercedes.  

While clearly a different visual proposition to what came before and the standard model, the Shooting Brake hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. Indeed up to the B-pillar this is identical to the four-door, complete with 142 LED three-pointed stars where the grille once was and a ‘sporty shark-nose design’. The estate part is more gradual than the traditional wagon, as per Mercedes tradition since the first CLS Shooting Brake in 2012, tapering to a spoiler that’s black on the inside and body coloured on its outside. That’s meant to make the stunning pano roof, illuminated with 158 LED stars, look like it’s extending all the way from one screen to the other. 

Speaking of screens, the Shooting Brake interior is carried over from the CLA we’ve already seen. Best not dwell on it for too long, then, but it remains pretty special for what’s likely to be a sub-£50k car. Not least thanks to a new multifunction wheel that returns roller and rocker switches in place of the fiddly, smeary haptic items – huzzah. But there’s also infotainment across a 10.25-inch driver’s screen, 14-inch central display (remember when that was a small TV?) plus the optional passenger screen of the same dimensions. Games can be played through your phone (with graphics supported by Unity Game Engine), the Mercedes Benz Operating System is here for only the second time, and there’s something called Electric Intelligence in the nav to minimise charging times with real time info. 

So a good time to talk powertrains. The CLA Shooting Brake will launch with the same pair of EV options as the saloon: a 272hp, rear-drive 250+, and a 349hp, 350 4Matic. Merc’s new hybrid will follow soon after. The EV pair are powered by an 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, with peak DC charging power of 320kW and at least 300 maintained by both after 10 minutes. Efficiency and range are a little behind the saloon, if still impressive: 473 miles is claimed for the 250, with anything up to 4.89mi/kWh, and 454 for the dual-motor car; its best-case electric mpg is 4.7mi/kWh. 

Mathias Geisen, Mercedes’ board member for sales, said: “The new CLA Shooting Brake is designed for those who appreciate the dynamism of a sporty vehicle but don’t want to compromise on space and practicality in everyday life. It combines intelligent technology and efficiency to deliver a fresh, engaging driving experience. For our customers, this means more space for individuality, travelling and for their own personal lifestyle.” Expect it on sale in March next year.