First look: Mercedes’ baby wagon leaked

MERCEDES-BENZ’S new compact wagon, the CLA Shooting Brake, has leaked on the internet in the United States, revealing a fast-back five-door variant looking like a scaled-down CLS Shooting Brake.

According to Car and Driver, the CLA wagon includes a top-shelf 45 AMG version with the same class-leading 256kW four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine as the AMG-enhanced CLA ‘four-door coupe’ sedan.

The magazine’s online article says the CLA45 AMG is capable of the zero-100km/h sprint in 4.7 seconds – 0.1 seconds slower than its four-door counterpart.

As well, Mercedes reportedly will offer an optional dress-up package called OrangeArt Edition that adds orange trim accents on the grille, wheels, interior stitching and mood lighting.

The package is said to be available on the two sportiest variants, the CLA250 and CLA45 AMG in the Shooting Brake line-up.

The Shooting Brake body appears to be new from the rear doors to the back bumper, with a redesigned back door and an extra window and scaled-down C-pillar added ahead of the rearmost pillar.

A roof-mounted spoiler sits above the rear hatch, with the latter narrowing down between the tail-lights.

Like the CLA sedan, all powertrains will be four-cylinder turbo, in a selection of petrol and diesel choices.

The CLA Shooting Brake brings to five the number of variants built on Mercedes-Benz’s front-wheel-drive platform that so far has spawn the A-Class, B-Class, CLA-Class sedan and GLA-Class SUV.

The CLA was launched in Australia in October last year, becoming one of the German manufacturer’s top-selling models here.

So far this year, Mercedes-Benz had sold 1963 CLA sedans, eclipsed only by the top-selling new C-Class and more affordable A-Class.

The new CLA Shooting Brake is expected to be added to the CLA range in Australia sometime next year.