Shooting Brake's a station wagon with elegance, writes David Wilkins.
Mercedes has unveiled the dramatically-styled station wagon version of the CLS, the CLS Shooting Brake. The car was revealed at a special event held at the Mercedes-Benz World brand centre at Brooklands, the traditional home of British motor racing.
Mercedes likes to describe the standard CLS as a four-door coupe rather than as a sedan - a reflection of its low, swooping roofline, and the Shooting Brake has a similarly sporty appearance despite the addition of a rear tailgate and an extra dose of practicality.
Other distinctive features of the standard four-door car, such as the frameless side windows, are retained. One unusual option is an attractive luggage compartment floor that uses American cherry tree wood in order to achieve a yacht-like effect. The wooden floor is part of the extensive "designo" range of personalisation options that offers buyers almost endless scope to stamp their own personalities on their cars.
Mechanically, the CLS Shooting Brake is similar to the standard version, sharing such technical features as air suspension and extensive use of aluminium bodywork in the interests of weight saving.
