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Welcome to the most beautiful wagon in the world. We know that might be hard to read as wagons are seldom thought of as beautiful, but with the new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, those thoughts might need some additional pondering. Unlike the old wagons, or even the current ones for that matter, the CLS Shooting Brake takes some of the four-door coupe design elements and translates them for wagon use. It might seem like an odd concept at first, but perhaps it’s genius. Wagons have long provided practicality, but that hasn’t exactly helped them fly out the door now has it? So, instead of pushing cargo space, Mercedes will be pushing style and that seems to work well in the automotive market place, just look at those terrible creations from BMW called the X6 and the future X1. These two are as useless as just about everything, but they’re going to sell. So, has Mercedes done the same thing with this CLS wagon? Updated 10/27/2011: The upcoming CLS Shooting Brake has been caught testing wearing little camouflage and revealing a design language similar to the concept. Updated 02/03/2012: The upcoming Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake has been caught testing again, this time during winter conditions. Enjoy! Hit the jump to find out. Exterior and Interior Imagine the CLS sedan elongated and you get the idea. The proportions are clearly those of a coupe, as it uses a long hood, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, and a dynamic roof sloping back towards the rear. It is only when you look harder that it becomes clear that the Shooting Brake actually has four doors and a large rear lid. The model features some astonishing proportions which at the same time are clearly reminiscent of the CLS. The exterior design is awash with swoopy shapes that mimic both coupe and wagon elements. Full LED headlamps and sharp 20-inch wheels round off the whole outside package. Honestly, it looks brilliant and it should easily be the best looking wagon on the market when it comes out. The Power Under the hood lies a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 capable of producing 306 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Now, this is the motor that powered the concept, so we really don’t know what else to expect for this version. We would imagine some of the motors from the 2012 CLS will carry over. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the automaker’s new 4.6-liter twin-turbo V-8 under the hood of the CLS Shooting Break. That motor produces 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque in the 2011 CL coupe and an engine that powerful could finally leave room for a direct-injected V-6 option in the States, which you see in the concept. Expect Mercedes-AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 to power the coming high-performance AMG ultimate wagon. The Competition In the United States there is absolutely nothing in terms of competition. BMW and Audi stopped marketing their wagon versions here because of slow sales and the other automakers have done the same thing. The only two left are the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and the Acura TSX Wagon. The latter is still a concept. When Will It Be HereWe should see it at the 2011 Beijing Motor Show. 3 comments: Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake This car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterized the great Mercedes Coupes, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further.
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Posted on
10.20.2011 @ 00:03