2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake Debuts In Paris

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake at the Paris Motor Show.  The shooting brake body style is one which was once not uncommon in Europe, and in its modern interpretation it has come to represent a combination of coupe-like features with a practical wagon cargo layout.  The Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door 'coupe' already crosses genres with its four-door, sloped-roof design, and so it is no surprise that the Silver Star chose this model as the canvas for a shooting brake variant.

At first glance, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake appears to share much of its styling DNA with the E-Class wagon.  Major differences include an arched roof, a longer hood, and character lines carved into the automobile's sides.  The rear hatch also stands apart from its more sedate E-Class cousin.  Five different engines are available with the CLS Shooting Brake, including four and six-cylinder turbodiesel models, a 3.5-liter V6, and two V8s.  The latter include a twin-turbo, 4.6-liter unit, and a 5.5-liter twin-turbo that comes with the high performance CLS63 AMG model.  The V6 and the entry-level V8 are available with optional all-wheel drive, and a seven-speed automatic transmission is standard across the line.

And now, the bad news:  Canadian wagon lovers will not be able to park the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake in their respective driveways, as the automaker has elected not to export the vehicle across the Atlantic.  Slow sales of models such as the R-Class and the E-Class wagon compared to those of SUVs have doomed the CLS Shooting Brake to a European focus, where it is guaranteed to move the needle on the dial from a consumer interest perspective.