CAR MANUFACTURERS have been busy developing new platforms to use as the basis for lots of different models
This saves money and means they can fill new niches in the market. So Mercedes has taken the base it uses for the A-Class and B-Class and also the CLA saloon, for another version: this new CLA Shooting Brake. Ostensibly an estate version of the CLA, it is more than that and, at the same time, less.
The name is a clue: a shooting brake is traditionally a sportier (but less practical) estate and that pretty much sums up this new model. The CLA Shooting Brake, however, cleverly taps in to the desire of many car buyers, especially younger ones, for a car with a "cool" image. Young families, for example, will find the CLA Shooting Brake is a car with style but with some load-lugging ability.
Some will love the sleekness of the elongated sloping roof, while others might think it is trying too hard to make an estate look sporty, the thickness of the C-pillar at the back and the way the glass tapers sharply being a bit severe for some tastes. It certainly looks distinctive though, and its styling will be sufficiently appealing to buyers who like an alternative take on the conventional.
UK buyers will have the choice of five engine variants, two turbo-diesels and three petrols. The diesels are 2.2-litre units, with 134bhp or 174bhp (in 200 CDI or 220 CDI forms respectively). The 200 CDI's 65.7mpg and emissions of 106g/km are sure to appeal to company car drivers, while the 220 CDI is a tad quicker. It gets from 0 to 60mph in 8.2 seconds (1.2 seconds quicker than the 200 CDI), with fuel economy marginally better at 67.3mpg and emissions of 108g/km.
The entry-level model is the 180 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 120bhp followed by a 2.0-litre with 208bhp in the 250 model. The engine in this latter car is smooth and keen to rev, with some fun pops and bangs on the overrun, and 0 to 60mph in 6.6 seconds. An average fuel economy of 42.8mpg is not bad, especially as it also has four-wheel drive, but it is unlikely to be achievable in the real world.
At the top of the range is the CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake which, having been tuned and fettled by Mercedes' AMG performance division, is a little cracker. Boosting the 2.0-litre powerplant to 357bhp makes it one of the most powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engines in the world, according to Mercedes, and it certainly feels it.
It takes just 4.6 seconds to hit 60mph from a standing start (top speed is 155mph) and it has that hot hatch feel, a raucously rasping engine encouraging you to use the throttle. You pay for it, of course, with the official 39.8mpg and the tax bill for its 161g/km emissions.
Just as the engine choice is a mixed bag, so are the ride and handling of the model's variants. The diesel 220 CDI we drove felt lumpy, the steering was lifeless and body control a bit sloppy, with an excess of body roll. The noisy engine lacks refinement, especially if you try to put a spurt on when overtaking.
lifeless and body control a bit sloppy, with an excess of body roll. The noisy engine lacks refinement, especially if you try to put a spurt on when overtaking.
The petrol-engined cars felt more agile and although the suspension had a firmer set-up the tautness worked. The car felt much more controlled when encountering imperfections in the road surface.
The interior is comfortable but lacks that cocooning feel the best cabins offer today: the dashboard feels distant and uninviting, while the switchgear and controls lack the involvement of those in modern Audis or BMWs. Space in the rear is limited, with headroom and legroom in short supply.
The boot is not as capacious as many estates, but at 495 litres it is not bad. A Load Compartment Package allows you to position the rear seats in a more upright position, giving you an extra 100 litres (with the rear seats folded down, there are 1,354 litres on offer).
It is available in four trim levels: Sport, AMG Sport, OrangeArt and Engineered by AMG, with some useful equipment (park assist, for example) as standard, but the CLA Shooting Brake is not entirely successful and it is difficult to see how you can make a case for it against, say, the BMW 3-Series Touring. The 45 AMG is a lot of fun but comes with a hefty £43,120 price tag.
Filling new niches with cars on existing platforms is all well and good, but the R&D minds at Mercedes would perhaps be better employed making some quieter, lighter diesels to improve its existing models.
LOGBOOK LOWDOWN
On sale: May Price: £25,755
Engine range: Petrol 1.6, 2.0, 2.0-Turbo-diesel - 2.2,
Power: 0 to 60mph in 4.6 seconds, 155mph top speed (2.0 turbo)
Average fuel 67.3mpg (2.2TD 174bhp)
CO2 emissions: Audi Rivals: BMW 3-Series
Rating:7/10
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