Mercedes Reveals the CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake

Mercedes CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake (Credit: Mercedes)

Mercedes just unveiled its latest compact offering, the CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake. It is pretty much the CLA-Class sedan in wagon form, injected with the crazy performance abilities that have made AMG famous. There is also a regular version of the Shooting Brake that hasn’t been tuned by AMG for those who don’t crave a fire-breathing vehicle.

Before anyone gets too excited and rushes to the nearest Mercedes dealer, United States readers should know that there is currently no plan to bring the vehicle stateside. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering that the U.S. market is flooded with crossovers and misses out on quite a few wagons that are sold elsewhere.

The Shooting Brake adds a level of utility to the CLA, including offering 1.6 inches more rear seat headroom than the regular version of the car. The cargo capacity is pretty decent with 17.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and 47.8 cubic feet with them folded down.

There will be five gasoline-powered versions of the CLA Shooting Brake, as well as two that run on diesel. Making the biggest waves is the CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake, which squeezes 355 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque from the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. Mercedes’ all-wheel drive, called 4Matic, will be standard on the AMG model. The car is estimated to go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. Drivers can select different driving modes for the transmission and electronic stability control.

For now, Americans will just have to settle for salivating over the Shooting Brake, because it likely will never come across the Atlantic. The model will be shown off for the first time in public at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, which takes place in March. Sending a complimentary and pleading message to Mercedes could only help sway the company to change its mind and release the wagon in the United States, even if it is a long shot.