Practicality and great car-design usually don't get along very well...
Some people will even say they are incompatible... until they come across a shooting brake.
Over the last decade Mercedes-Benz
surprised us with groundbreaking automotive design and the courage to
bring their concept cars on the road.
Using the CLS-Class as one of the most
elegant luxury sedans and first four-door coupes to create yet
another market-defining concept with this shooting brake, once again
shows their bravery.
The original term ' Shooting Brake '
comes from horse-carriages used for hunting in the early 20th
century.
Fast and leight vehicles that offered enough space for a group of people and their firearms.
In the 60s the british started building
cars under this name and today's motoring industry simply describes
it as a combination between a wagon and a coupe.
In case of this Mercedes-Benz CLS
Shooting brake, I think, it simply stands for the best looking estate
car on the market...I just adore its elegant and fluent body work.
Nobody can doubt the fact that the Shooting Brake has a certain coolness factor.
If this car was black you could show up at a gothic nite-club and everybody would call it the coolest hearse they've ever seen....Well, until they find out that it doesn't come with a casket...
If this car was black you could show up at a gothic nite-club and everybody would call it the coolest hearse they've ever seen....Well, until they find out that it doesn't come with a casket...
What do you get when you need practicality and want to buy a high end luxury automobile ?
No other luxury brand thought about a car like this, but when look at it...It just all makes sense ...
So yes, the Shooting Brake is a very special car to look at , but the interior doesn't disappoint either ...
Perfect in ergonomics and build quality the CLS Shooting Brake offers traditional Mercedes functionality combined with a unique touch of sportiness :
There's a generous amount of space in the front an rear with surprising good head room considering the narrow window glass line of the CLS.
The beautiful double-stitched leather upholstery is hand-fitted.
Dual-zone automatic climate control for the front- and backseats, four different front seat option, a heated steering wheel and a shear endless list of technical gadgets make live behind the wheel easy, relaxing and safe. And safety has always been a big topic driving a Mercedes.
First and foremost there's the clever Driver Assistance Package.It includes the wonderful Distronic Plus active cruise control with the radar-based PRE-SAFE break , that adapts to the traffic infront of you, automaticly slowing down and even stopping the car if necessary.
It's almost like an auto-pilot system: Weird to a new user, but deeply appreciated once you've used it on a long drive or in a traffic jams.Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist work equally effective and enhance the feeling of safety that you expect from a luxury car.
The CLS is truely is one of the most comfortable cars for long distance drives that you can experience.
Take it for a six hour drive and you won't end up feeling fatigued.
And to top it of you can even order a luggage compartment floor made of american cherry woods.
So the Shooting Brake looks and feels very special in and out , but :
Does it feel special to drive too ?
I was driving the CLS 500, which has a 4,7 liter twin turbo V8 engine, making 408 hp and 600nm of torque. That's enough to make this big and heavy estate a very very fast car..0 to 100 kph takes just 5,3 seconds...The top speed is limited to 250 kp, but when you drive this car on the autobahn...honestly it feels like it could do 300 easily if it wasn't limited...
Watch the video above and you should get a feeling of how capable this car really is.
The power-delivery is just absolutly effortless, with the engine barely turning 3500 rpm at 240 kph ( top speed with the mounted winter tires ). In normal traffic you really have to watch the speedo, because the car builds up speed so fast, you can't even notice it. I can't even imagine what the CLS 63 AMG must feel like, but I can also support those voices that say that a diesel like the 350 CDI or even the small 250 CDI entry are great engines for the Shooting Brake.
Fuel economy ? I was suprised: You can easily drive the big V8 with 10,5 liter on 100 kilometers, because you never reach more than 3000 rpms driving on broads.
A sporty and fast ride on the autobahn with few topspeed runs will get you into the 14s for sure, but considering how big this car is, it's a price you really pay with a smile on your face.
The CLS 500 comes standard with
the AIRMATIC air suspension and automaticly adjusting damping. In
combination with this 7 G Tronic automatic it's a very comfortable
and yet surprisingly agile car to drive, considering its size...It's
not the sportscar that Mercedes themselves call it, but it has really
well set-up chassis, that offers typical Mercedes comfort with a good
amount of sportiness.
The steering feels pretty good awell, so overall..I think the Shooting Braket offers enough involvement into the driving for a sporty and very fluent driving style, without annoying traditional Mercedes customs who mainly look for a comfortable ride.
The steering feels pretty good awell, so overall..I think the Shooting Braket offers enough involvement into the driving for a sporty and very fluent driving style, without annoying traditional Mercedes customs who mainly look for a comfortable ride.
Final verdict after two weeks of testing :
Eversince the Shooting Brake hit the showrooms, I wanted to drive and review this machine quite
badly.
It didn't disappoint me :
The CLS Shooting Brake drives like a typical Mercedes.
It offers immense comfort and a very decent amount of cargo space, the ride quality is excellent for long trips and with all safety guards installed, it just gives you a feeling of safety and security that very few other cars can match.
There are many great engine options that should make any potential buyer happy.
For me it's undoubtedly the best looking estate car on the market today and well worth every €uro and Cent, that Mercedes charges for it ...
( Text and Photos: TheGetawayer )
Subscribe to my Youtube-Channel : http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VF661-39deEmBx9VxQJLQ?sub_confirmation=1
It didn't disappoint me :
The CLS Shooting Brake drives like a typical Mercedes.
It offers immense comfort and a very decent amount of cargo space, the ride quality is excellent for long trips and with all safety guards installed, it just gives you a feeling of safety and security that very few other cars can match.
There are many great engine options that should make any potential buyer happy.
For me it's undoubtedly the best looking estate car on the market today and well worth every €uro and Cent, that Mercedes charges for it ...
( Text and Photos: TheGetawayer )
Full video review:
Subscribe to my Youtube-Channel : http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3VF661-39deEmBx9VxQJLQ?sub_confirmation=1