MERCEDES-AMG CLA Shooting brake Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Mercedes-AMG unveiled in January 2023 a facelift for its CLA range, in both sedan and long-roof shape, where the latter version was named Shooting Brake.

Four years after the introduction of the Shooting Brake version for the second generation of the CLA Coupe, the German automaker made an important step forward by adding a facelift for the entire range. Besides the exterior and interior upgrades, the 2024 model-year CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake also received improvements for the drivetrain.

Sporting the same Panamericana grille as the rest of the AMG range, the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake was also fitted with the new, redesigned LED headlights as the rest of the CLA range, produced either under AMG or Mercedes-Benz badge. From its sides, the car looked similar to its Coupe sibling, albeit it was different from the B-pillars rearward. There, the arched and slightly sloped-down roof line was extended behind the C-pillars onto the raked-forward D-pillars that ended the vehicle with a curved tailgate.

Changes continued on the interior, where the automaker introduced new color combinations for the upholstery. Thus, from 2023, this version was available with either gray-black or red-black combinations. On the dashboard, the automaker installed two 10.25” screens behind a commonly-shared glass, leaving the impression of a continuous wide display. The one fronting the driver was used for the instrument panel, while the one mounted atop the center stack featured touch functions and was used for the infotainment system.

Under the hood, beside the belt-driven starter-generator, stood the same transversely-mounted inline-four turbocharged powerplant that sent the power in all corners via a new AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox. Thanks to the new drivetrain, the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake could push the car from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in a mere 4.9 seconds.

Mercedes-AMG made a more spacious version of the CLA 35, but just like its non-AMG sibling, the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake, it featured an overall shape that resembled a shooting brake. Moreover, the automaker named it that way even though the car sported four doors and a tailgate.

After customers accepted the fact that a car with four doors may be called a coupe, they had to accept this unusual shape to be called a shooting brake. In a way, it was unfair to call this version of the Mercedes-AMG CLA a station wagon since the CLA was already considered a four-door coupe, so it just came naturally. In addition, thanks to the AMG input, the car became a family hauler/fast wagon. And it didn't have any rivals on the market since neither premium European automakers produced such a vehicle.

At the front, the car featured an AMG-specific grille with a double horizontal bar that supported the three-pointed star badge of the automaker. It was flanked on the sides by swept-back headlights adorned by LED daytime running lights at their upper side. On the lower bumper, Mercedes-AMG installed the classic A-shaped lower grille flanked by generous side scoops. The hood sported two creases, giving the impression of a vehicle with a longitudinally-mounted engine. In fact, there was a transversely mounted one. However, the most significant difference when compared to the CLA 35 or the A 35 was the greenhouse. It featured an extended roof sloped down behind the C-pillars and ended with a spoiler above the raked-forward tailgate. The taillights were extended from the quarter panels to the tailgate, creating the image of a sporty vehicle. To top it all off, the automaker installed a pair of round exhausts on each side of the car. Those were not fake tips but real ones.

Inside, the automaker used the same high-bolstered seats as in the CLA 35. These provided excellent side support during high-speed cornering. On the dashboard, the AMG-specific instrument cluster featured a digital display extended over the dashboard by a touchscreen for the infotainment system. Both screens were covered by the same piece of glass, creating the image of a continuous display. Still, it was not the case. Underneath them, the automaker used the same round vents as the rest of the CLA range. Still, the steering wheel with its three double spokes was designed and installed by the AMG, not Mercedes-Benz. On the rear bench seat, there was hardly room enough for three passengers, but two could share it for long trips. Finally, the trunk offered 505 liters (16.9 cu-ft) of space, which was more than in any other CLA.

The hand-built two-liter gasoline engine sent its oomph via an eight-speed automatic Speedhift gearbox developed, engineered, and tuned by the AMG. Power went in all corners via an electronically-controlled transmission system that sent all the torque to the wheel with the best traction.

When Mercedes-Benz launched the first A45 AMG 4Matic, it shook the world. Even if it never was a truly rally-oriented brand, its results have been far better than what other brands with WRC titles in their pockets. And now it's for a whole family.

The new CLA Shooting Brake comes with enough room for a family and has enough performance for a fast driver on a winding road and some loose surfaces. Mercedes-AMG uses the most powerful four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine in the world. With a power of 387 hp or 421 hp (S version) the new engine breaks all the previous records. Thanks to this high-power AMG engine and with help from the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system and AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 8G dual-clutch transmission, the results bring it close to supercars. The 0-62 mph (100 kph) sprint is done in 4.1 seconds by the 387 hp version and 4.0 seconds flat by the S version (421 hp).

The Shooting Brake body is not a common style to see on the roads. But Mercedes did it for the CLS and also for the CLA Shooting Brake. The streamed lines and the frameless windows are part of the sleek, elegant yet sporty look. The long hood can trick someone that the engine is mounted longitudinally, but actually it is a transverse engine. But aesthetically, it creates a great image balance. In the rear, the trunk space has enough room for a lot of luggages: 505 liters with the rear seats up.

Mercedes-Benz introduced the first generation of the CLA in 2013, and in the following year, at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, it unveiled the shooting brake version, which also came with AMG flavor.

The German automaker revamped the four-door coupes craze when it introduced the CLS, but that wasn’t all. In 2013, it also produced the small-sized CLA, which was based on a front-wheel-drive platform developed together with the French automaker Renault. When that wasn’t enough either, it made the station wagon version of the CLA and named it Shooting Brake. It was the only premium automaker that offered such a vehicle. Moreover, besides the Mercedes-Benz models, Mercedes-AMG also produced a line of products based on this small-sized premium vehicle, and that’s how the CLA 45 Shooting Brake appeared.

There was a new design language in the German automaker house, and the CLA followed it. As a result, the front fascia featured swept-back headlights that combined curved lines and sharp angles. In addition, the AMG version sported an upper grille adorned by a double horizontal slat that supported the three-pointed star badge. Moreover, a second grille under the bumper helped to cool the engine, while the broad side scoops cooled the front rotors. However, the most significant difference between the CLA and the CLA Shooting Brake was for the greenhouse. While the former featured a short roof and a sloped rear windscreen, the latter came fitted with a longer roof and a raked forward tailgate at the back. Underneath the bumper, Mercedes-AMG installed two pairs of rectangular exhausts on each side of the vehicle, flanking the center-mounted diffuser. The wide taillights didn’t cross onto the tailgates and looked like they were carried over from the four-door CLA model.

Inside, the automaker included the ARTICO man-made leather as a standard feature to cover the dashboard to reduce glare. Moreover, the door cards also sported the same material. Since it was a sporty four-door coupe, AMG considered offering a set of high-bolstered bucket seats at the front. There, the driver fronted a flat-bottom steering wheel and an instrument cluster filled with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer, which flanked an LCD and housed the fuel and the temperature gauges, respectively. On the center stack, the automaker placed a 7” screen for the infotainment system mounted in a free-floating position. In the back, the automaker installed a split-folding bench seat profiled for two but fitted with seat belts. The AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake featured a 496-liter (17.5 cu-ft.) trunk.

But the most significant change was under the hood, where the two-liter inline-four engine gained 20 ponies compared to its predecessor, thanks to the new twin-scroll turbocharger. As a result, it shaved 0.3 seconds from the 0 to 62 MPH (0-100 kph) time. Power went in all corners via a standard seven-speed (dual-clutch) AMG SPEEDSHIFT gearbox.