The list of Mercedes-Benz vehicle debuts in Geneva includes the X118 CLA Shooting Brake, the latest iteration of which is based on the C118 CLA Coupe that was introduced at the start of this year.
The second-gen car has grown slightly – at 4,688 mm long, 1,830 mm wide and 1,442 mm tall, the new car is longer (+48 mm), wider (+53 mm) and lower (-2 mm) than its predecessor. Like the coupe, it also features a wider track compared to the outgoing car.
It also looks cleaner, the styling largely mirroring that of the coupe up to the B-pillar, but it’s the sides and rear end that improve the most over the old car. The reduction in the number of character lines – with the shoulder line having been completely dispensed with – means that the new shape looks far better resolved, more so when viewed in the metal.
The interior follows on that as seen in the CLA, with design highlights including turbine-styled air-conditioning vents and a wide free-standing flatscreen display, along with a Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system. Also on, a 64-colour ambient lighting system.
There’s also ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice control functionality, and the equipment list also includes Energising comfort control, with a new Energising Coach function.
Like the coupe, the new Shooting Brake offers improved interior space – front headroom has been increased by nine mm, while that for the rear is up by eight mm.
Other areas that have been improved on is that of elbow and shoulder room, the former up by 35 mm in front and 44 mm at the back, while shoulder room has been increased by nine mm in front and by 22 mm at the back.
Boot capacity is also up – the new car has 505 litres of cargo space, a 10 litre increase over the first-gen, which isn’t that much to shout about. However, the accessibility to that is, because ingress and egress aspects have become much better – the width of the load compartment opening now measures 871 mm, a 236 mm increase over the old car.
Driving assistance systems – with functions adopted from the S-Class – as seen on the CLA are to be found on the Shooting Brake. Items include Active Distance Assist Distronic, Active Steer Assist and Active Lane Change Assist.
The range-topping CLA Shooting Brake model announced at point of introduction is a CLA 250, which is equipped with a 224 hp and 350 Nm four-cylinder M260 petrol engine, the mill being paired with a 7G-DCT dual-clutch transmission.
Although not detailed, the automaker says that by the time of the Shooting Brake’s market launch in September, there will be a wide range of diesel and petrol engines – with manual or dual-clutch transmissions and front-wheel or 4Matic all-wheel configurations – to pick from.
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