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First Drive Review: Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake

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Author: | Updated: 02 Apr 2015 16:50

Platform engineering is one of the buzz phrases in the car industry at the moment, as carmakers attempt to squeeze as much value of out their R&D as possible.

This means that when a car company has developed a platform (defined as a shared set of common design, engineering and production elements, as well as major components), it then seeks to make the most of it by using it as the basis for as many models as it can.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Front Dynamic

Mercedes-Benz has therefore taken the platform it uses for the A-Class, B-Class and CLA Coupé, for another new car, the CLA Shooting Brake. As an estate version of the CLA Coupé, it has a definite sportiness to its character, something that Mercedes hopes will give it appeal to younger car buyers, who want a dash of sexiness with the practicality they actually need.

The eye of the beholder

An appreciation of the CLA Shooting Brake’s style will be in the eye of the beholder.

Some will love the sleekness of the sloping roof, while others might think it’s trying too hard to inject a sporty quality into an estate form, the thickness of the C-pillar at the back, and the way the glass tapers sharply, possibly proving too severe for some tastes. It is distinctive, though, and its design will be appeal to buyers who don’t want conventional.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Side Dynamic

The interior is comfortable, but it doesn’t have the cocooning feel that its rival will offer: the dashboard feels distant and abrupt, while the switchgear and controls just aren’t up to the quality of those found in Audis or BMWs. Rear space also feels limited, with headroom for taller passengers in short supply, thanks to that sloping roofline: legroom isn’t anything to write home about, either.

The boot, at 495 litres, isn’t as big as a conventional estate, but you can option a Load Compartment Package that allows you to position the rear seats in a more upright position, adding 100 litres (with the 60:40 split folding seats down, there’s 1,354 litres at your disposal).

The options

UK buyers will have the choice of five engine variants; two diesel and three petrol.

The diesels are a brace of 2.2-litre units, the 134bhp 200 CDI and the 174bhp 220 CDI. The 200 CDI’s 65.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 106g/km will be of particular interest to fleet users.

The 220 CDI is quicker, reaching 62mph in 8.3 seconds (1.2 seconds quicker than the 200 CDI): fuel efficiency is also better, at 67.3mpg, and CO2 emissions are 108g/km. We’ve only tested the 220 CDI and were a little disappointed: it’s noisy and lacks refinement, especially when accelerating.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Interior

See all our Mercedes-Benz CLA leasing deals here: business / personal

We also tested the 2.0-litre 250 engine, which is smooth and keen to rev, the exhaust also popping and banging entertainingly on overrun: with 208bhp on tap, 0-62mph came up in 6.8 seconds, so it’s a decent performer. Official fuel consumption figure of 42.8mpg is good for a variant with four-wheel drive.

There are four available trim levels – Sport, AMG Sport, OrangeArt and Engineered by AMG – with some useful equipment (park assist, for example) as standard.

Time for some fun

At the top of the range is the CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake, which has been taken in hand by Mercedes’ AMG performance division – and it shows.

Mercedes-Benz-CLA-45-AMG-Shooting-Brake-front-white-2015-_

Read our review of the standard CLA saloon

The 2.0-litre powerplant produces 357bhp, making it one of the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engines in the world, according to Mercedes. It feels it, too: 0-62mph takes just 4.7 seconds and it definitely has a hot hatch feel, a raucously rasping engine begging you to prod the throttle at every opportunity. It will cost you, of course: the official 39.8mpg and the tax bill for 161g/km of CO2 run up the running costs, but it’s a lot of fun to drive.

On the road

Just as the engine choice is varied, so are the driving dynamics of the different variants. The diesel 220 CDI we drove felt lumpy, with lifeless steering and sloppy body control, even exhibiting an excess of body roll.

The two petrol-engined cars, however, felt considerably sharper, more agile and direct, and despite a firmer suspension set-up, the tautness somehow worked, the car feeling so much more controlled when having to deal with ridges, potholes and imperfections in the road surface.

Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake Front Cornering

The verdict

The CLA Shooting Brake isn’t a completely successful move by Mercedes and it’s hard to justify recommending it over, for example, the BMW 3 Series Touring – especially as comparable variants of the Beemer come out cheaper in most cases (and it’s not often you get to say that).

The 45 AMG is a lot of fun, but its running costs and hefty £43,120 price tag don’t exactly make it a sensible choice for fleets or user choosers.

Sometimes, the conventional choice is conventional because it’s the right choice. This is one of those times.

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake at a glance

Length: 4,630mm
Width: 1,777mm
Height: 1,435mm
Wheelbase: 2,699mm
Kerb weight: 1,615kg
Boot space: 495 / 1,354 litres
Engines: 200 CDI (134bhp, 6-spd manual); 220 CDI (174bhp, 6-spd manual); 180 (120bhp, 6-spd manual); 250 4MATIC (208bhp, 7-spd auto); 45 AMG (356bhp, 7-spd auto)
Trims: Sport, AMG Sport, OrangeArt, Engineered by AMG
Cheapest: CLA 180 - £25,755
Priciest: CLA 45 AMG - £42,120
Fastest: CLA 45 AMG – 0-62mph 4.7s; 155mph
Fuel economy: 67.3mpg (CLA 220 CDI)
CO2 emissions: 106g/km (CLA 200 CDI)

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