Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake is Benz’s first electric estate

Mercedes has unveiled the CLA Shooting Brake estate just weeks after the launch of the all-electric CLA saloon.

The CLA Shooting Brake is Mercedes‘ first all-electric estate car and aims to bring more space and practicality to the sleek four-door CLA. It’s identical to the four-door as far as the B-pillar, before the roofline extends and flows back at a far more gentle angle.

A 6cm longer wheelbase and 3cm higher roof means there’s more passenger space than the previous petrol CLA. There’s also better access and headroom than in the current four-door thanks to wider door apertures and the taller roofline.

However, boot capacity has dropped by 30 litres over the old car, to 455 litres, still 30 litres more than the saloon. With the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded flat, that expands to 1,290 litres. There’s also 101 litres of additional space in the illuminated frunk – a first for Mercedes.

Appealing to the growing lifestyle market, Mercedes notes that the standard roof rails will easily accommodate a surfboard or bicycle. It is also keen to point out that the Shooting Brake’s 1,800kg towing capacity is enough to haul a jet ski or two motorcycles on a trailer. That’s in all-wheel-drive versions, rear-drive cars can tow 1,500kg.

Unlike the saloon, which is currently only available in single-motor guise, the CLA Shooting Brake comes with a choice of powertrains. The CLA 250+ Shooting Brake uses the same 268bhp rear-mounted motor as the four-door, while the CLA 350 4MATIC adds a motor on the front axle for 349bhp and all-wheel drive. Both variants use the same 85kWh battery for ranges of 472 miles and 453 miles respectively. They also offer the same 320kW charging as the four-door, adding 192 miles of range in 10 minutes.

The CLA Shooting Brake features the same tech-heavy cabin as the saloon, with 14-inch central touchscreen, 10.25-inch digital dials and the option of a third screen in front of the passenger seat.

There’s also a full-length panoramic sunroof with optional Renault-style electronic dimming. This turns the glass from clear to opaque or back in an instant at the touch of a touchscreen menu. It also features a unique illumination, creating a star pattern on the glass at night.

Price and specifications are still to be confirmed ahead of the car’s launch in March 2026. We would expect the Shooting Brake to follow the same Sport Edition, AMG Line Edition and AMG Line Premium Edition trim levels as the saloon and prices to start a little above the four-door, which costs from £45,000.