Merc estate’s a shooting star
THIS IS the Mercedes-amg CLA 45 S shooting-brake. Quite a mouthful, and I’ve left a bit out (4Matic+ Plus, which if I remember my maths, should be 4Matic Minus as two pluses equal a minus).we’re near Mercedes-benz’s UK HQ at Milton Keynes, driving this newcomer around the roads that surround Silverstone.
Sometimes you need to be in the right mood for a car like this. It’s very fast, very frenetic and very urgent.
If you’re in a mellow mood then a car like the CLA 45 S can be immensely irritating and you begin to wish that you were driving the diesel version.today, for some reason, I am in the mood for a car like this.
I’ve always been drawn to fast estate cars. I like the styling and practicality of a quick load-lugger.at the heart of it is the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that’s used in the A45 S hatchback. It’s a record-breaking engine that produces an incredible 421bhp.
That’s around the same amount of horsepower produced by the Cosworth DFV Formula One engine in the late 1960s.
That engine wasn’t turbocharged like the Merc, but it was a full 3.0 litres, needed a rebuild about every 500 miles and wouldn’t have liked ticking over at traffic lights.
Mercedes gives you a warranty on its engine and around town you wouldn’t know it could produce such power.the CLA 45 is available in non S form with a piffling 387bhp – but we power-mad Brits only get the fruitier S version. You can also get this engine in the saloon but I’m a sucker for estates. Besides, the extra practicality of the shooting-brake is handy and it looks cooler.
your dog is also a speed freak and will enjoy the experience of 0-62mph in 4.0sec and – if you can find somewhere to do it – a top speed of 155mph.that’s the restricted top speed but if you order the Driver’s Package that is lifted to 168mph.
Choosing the shooting-brake over the hatchback adds an extra three grand to the price, which makes the total for our test car £59,470.That’s a serious amount of money unless you convert it to bhp per £, in which
case it doesn’t look quite so bad. Ours is in Plus spec which adds an aero pack, forged alloy wheels and leather upholstery.
As you can tell from the 4Matic part of its name the CLA 45 S is four-wheel drive.with this performance level, including a mighty 500Nm of torque, you’d be buying two new tyres every week if it was two-wheel drive.
The 4wd drive system has a Haldex multi-plate clutch, with a torque control mechanism that uses two clutches to apportion power individually to each rear wheel.the use of this has enabled the madcap engineers in the AMG department to fit a drift mode to the car to add to the array of six driving modes.
And no, I didn’t try it out. Even turning off the traction control in a test car usually voids the insurance, so being found in a ditch with drift mode selected would not go down well. Launch control is also standard and you don’t want to be caught using that on the public road either.
When I drove the A45 S hatchback earlier this year I was infuriated by the horrendous tyre roar. It could be the shooting-brake body style or a different specification of tyre, but this car suffers much less from the problem.
There’s another difference between the shooting-brake and the hatchback: it feels better balanced through corners. Both are unbelievably quick cross country; but the estate has the edge on feel. Inside it’s standard top-spec Mercedes furnishings, with leather sports seats and the company’s very effective and easy to use infotainment system – including the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice control that actually works. Most of the time.
Over the top in price, performance and looks, the CLA 45 S shooting-brake is a car that makes little rational sense but will appeal a lot to those with deep pockets, a lot of brand loyalty and a sense of humour. £59,470
Petrol – 2.0 421bhp
0 to 62mph in 4.0 seconds, 155mph top speed
32.8mpg 191g/km BMW 3-Series Touring, Audi RS4 Avant 7/10