2012 MERCEDES BENZ CLS Shooting Brake (X218) 350 7AT RWD (306 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The second generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLS was offered as a shooting brake as well. It was the natural evolution from a four-door coupe.

The shooting-brake body shape was used for older station-wagon coupe vehicles in the past. Over time, they were forgotten and considered obsolete. But as the four-doors coupe vehicles returned on the market, the idea of a shooting-brake came back on the car-makers list.

The CLS was one of the most successful four-doors coupes on the market. It started a revolution followed by most of the other premium manufacturers. For the Shooting-brake version, the designers took the same front part of the car up to the B-pillars and extended its roof to the back, in a sloped way. Thus, the aerodynamic look was kept.

Inside, the CLS Shooting-brake featured the same luxurious interior with front bucket seats and two individual seats in the back. The difference was that the rear backseat was folding in a split 40/20/40 way. That allowed a consistent increase in the trunk volume of up to 1550 liters (54.7 cu-ft). It was smaller than most of the station-wagons from the mid-size segment, but it was bigger than a regular CLS.

For the engine compartment, the CLS Shooting-brake featured a choice of six engines: three diesel and three gasoline units, all within a power range between 204 hp and 408 hp. The AMG version was in a different league. The standard transmission was a 7G-Tronic (dual-clutch) automatic. It was offered with rear- or all-wheel-drive.