Straight shooter
New Mercedes-Benz does exactly what it promises
SO what is a shooting brake? Well, basically it’s a posh name for an estate, originally applied to horse-drawn wagons in the 1890s that were used to transport shooting parties with their guns, and then to bring home game they shot.
I don’t think things are going to get feral anytime soon, and I couldn’t bring myself to use a water-pistol against a pheasant, never mind a gun, but if needs must, I’d definitely be happy to bring the Mercedes CLA shooting brake to the car park in Tesco.
What I like about it is that it’s not much of a looker. It’s grand, as we often say dismissively in Ireland, but it doesn’t compare with its sister CLA coupé in the style department. The elongation somehow makes it seem flat and sullen in profile, and the Kim Kardashian rear seems to overhang by just a fraction too much.
In short, it is best viewed from the front, where all the MercedesBenz trademarks, especially the huge inlaid three-point star, at least remind you that, ugly sister or not, it’s still part of the family.
Inside, it’s as luxurious as you would expect of Mercedes, even in one of the less premium models, though it didn’t have the awesome panoramic MBUX (user experience) system of some of the more expensive trims, just a smaller version. As infotainment goes, it’s still up there with the very best.
THE seating is wraparound and comfortably appointed in Artico leather with Dinamica microfibre, and there is lovely ambient lighting running through the doors that make this an especially pleasant drive at night. There’s good shoulder and headroom in the front and rear, one aspect in which the shooting brake scores over the coupé, which feels a little restricted in the back. There’s also a mighty boot, so you theoretically could cart off as much game as you usefully could shoot.
When it comes to performance, the 116hp on tap isn’t exactly dynamic, and the 0-100kph of 11 seconds is not going to set the world alight, but that’s not the point of this car. I see it more as doing exactly what it says on the tin — it’s a car for the outdoors, and long walks with muddy Labradors to a riverbank where you might sit all day angling. Definitely one for the gentry, or those who think they are.
The standard equipment package is excellent, and includes active brake assist, active lanekeeping assist, adaptive cruise control, speed limit assist and so on. My AMG Line car came with AMG mats, sports pedals in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs, USB port up front and two in back, LED high performance headlamps, 40/20/40 rear bench split, and much, much more. The metallic paint job of my test car added €1,411 to the price and smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto cost another €564.
As for fuel efficiency, no worries there, as the car gets through between 3.9 and 4.1 litres in the combined urban/extra-urban cycle, with emissions of just 106g per kilometre for annual motor tax of €190. All figures are NEDC, not WLTP.
The CLA shooting brake is everything a good Mercedes should be, unfussy but very comfortable, understated not flashy, and as much at home with utilitarian function as it is with slightly muddled form.
As it happens, it’s the last new car I’ll be able to test for a while. With all of the car companies shutting down their press test fleets, I have no idea how long it will be before I get behind the wheel of something new again.
It’s weird, because except for holidays and an illness in 2015 that took me out of action for a month, I’ve had a new car every Monday for 19 years, and I’ll miss the excitement of it.
Worry not, though, because in the meantime, over as many weeks as this takes, I’ll be running guides to my five favourite cars in every segment — family, executive, compact, SUV, electric and so on — so that you still will know what to choose if you’re in the market for something new.
Our world is upended at the moment but this crisis is not going to go on forever, and when normal life resumes, I’ll be back with the latest drives, news from international launches and motor shows, and honest reviews of every new car that comes my way.
In the meantime, stay safe, everyone — and, even though you might hate it, only use the car when absolutely necessary!