The Next Mercedes CLA Will Be Available In The Best Form Possible

There was just one thing missing from the previous generation, and the CarBuzz photographers have just caught it. That was the most practical and stylish version of the CLA, the CLA Shooting Brake. The photos of these prototypes confirm that Mercedes-Benz will be bringing the wagon back to the new generation of CLA.

No Breaks For The Mercedes-Benz Engineers

The CLA Shooting Brake has been spotted testing around the Nürburgring in Germany as Mercedes-Benz works to bring the long-roof version of the CLA to market. No, it's not a Shooting Brake in the traditional sense of the word - usually it's applied to a two-door wagon, not one with four - but if Benz wants to call it that, we can't really stop it.

Its name makes more sense when you remember that MB called prior generations of the four-door CLA the CLA Coupe. The Shooting Brake's sleek roofline isn't quite as upright as a traditional wagon, so maybe it applies? In any case, it's better than yet another "SUV Coupe."

The test car doesn't seem to have many surprises. The sheet metal ahead of the B-pillar appears to be the same as the sedan. Behind the pillar, the curve of the roof changes because it stays high instead of dropping down to where a trunk would be.

This 732-hp monster is owned by the founder of German tuner Pogea Racing.

At the back, the hatch appears slightly more upright than the last-generation CLA Shooting Brake. But it's still sleeker than, say, a C-Class wagon. Benz is trying to hide them, but we can still see the starlight design in the taillights.

This Is The Third Generation CLA Shooting Brake

Mercedes-Benz first launched the CLA Shooting Brake at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. It was mean on the part of Benz, because neither it nor the subsequent generations of the wagon would ever go on sale in the U.S.

One of the main perks of the prior Shooting Brake models had been their cargo carrying capacity. On paper, the differences aren't large; 15.5 cubic feet for the sedan versus 17 for the wagon. In reality, it's more significant since European cargo measurements only go up to the bottom of the window. With the seats folded, it holds up to 48 cubic feet, more than the GLA SUV.

Mercedes-Benz offered the last-generation CLA Shooting Brake with most of the same powertrains as the sedan. Those included both AMG 35 and AMG 45 models. Benz hasn't yet said anything about this generation, but it will likely offer the same drivelines as the sedan. Those include the CLA 250+ with EQ Technology and the CLA 350. The former has a single motor making 268 horsepower, the latter two motors making a total of 349 horsepower. Yes, there will be gas power as well.

The electric range will likely be lower than it is for the sedan, as fuel economy has been slightly higher due to extra weight. The maximum range for the sedan of 492 miles on the somewhat ambitious WLTP cycle should leave plenty of distance for the wagon.

As for timing, expect the CLA Shooting Brake to get a reveal near the end of the year. Our spies haven't seen any AMG prototypes out yet, but we expect to see the faster Brakes (with their bigger brakes) soon.