What's all this about?
A stroke of genius from the madmen over at Mercedes-Benz and AMG, who have - almost from nowhere - given us something with which to obliterate the recently-announced Volkswagen Golf R Estate. Say hello to the quite marvellous CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake.
Crikey, is there a big demand for this sort of compact, rapid wagon?
Apparently so. Ford started the ball rolling by announcing the Focus ST Estate, although the Golf R was a real gem. Now Merc has upped the ante, with a 360hp, all-wheel drive load-lugger.
How does it differ from the CLA 45 coupé?
It differs very little, apart from the roofline from the B-pillar back. That blesses the CLA with more rear headroom (something it sorely needed, if we're honest) and 1,354 litres of cargo capacity. And, naturally, better looks.
Is it quicker than the CLA?
No, despite having the same 360hp/450Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, seven-speed AMG Speedshift DCT transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive, the extra weight of the Shooting Brake adds 0.1 seconds to the 0-62mph benchmark sprint, clocking a still-very-laudable 4.7 seconds. However, that stylish rear obviously blesses it with great aerodynamics, as Merc is quoting better fuel economy than on the coupé, at 40.9mpg compared to 39.8mpg.
And the top speed is...?
The usual 155mph, electronically limited.
Why isn't it a Mercedes-AMG, as per the new badging from Stuttgart?
It's presumably to prevent having to rebadge the coupé to match, which would probably put existing CLA 45 owners' noses out of joint. See more of the car at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015, with the launch programme gearing up from then too.
Matt Robinson - 25 Nov 2014
