Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its stunning new CLS coupe, the Shooting Brake, featuring five doors and a roof which continues through to the rear.

"Any memorable machine is equal parts art and science. A car has to first deliver in function – the ticket of entry – and then in fascination: the ticket to real excitement. The CLS Shooting Brake excels on both accounts – unlike any other car in the market,” said CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche.

The proportions of the CLS Shooting Brake clearly those of a coupé: the long bonnet, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, and dynamic roof sloping back towards the rear.

"The CLS Shooting Brake is based on the great tradition of stylish sportiness which has always characterised Mercedes, and takes these unique icons an exciting step further,” said Gorden Wagener, head of Design at Mercedes Benz.

"It stands for the enhanced design idiom of Mercedes-Benz which is oriented towards aesthetic, avant-garde principles.”

The interior of the Shooting Brake is lined with high-quality carpet, and the hand-stitched material is also incorporated into the sideliners in conjunction with leather appointments. Optional designer loading rails made of aluminium give an even more exclusive look.

An extravagant and unique feature for the automotive industry is the designo wooden luggage compartment floor, which serves to underscore the hand-finished nature of the interior.

The Shooting Brake also offers five interior colours, five trim designs and also three qualities of leather to choose from. Customers have a choice of three exclusive wood types: high-gloss brown burr walnut, high-gloss black ash and satin-finish light-brown poplar.

The interior is given an even more progressive look with the addition of piano lacquer or AMG carbon fibre/black piano lacquer trim elements. A completely new addition comes in the form of porcelain interior appointments which afford both CLS models a sense of luxury normally found in the S-Class.

With a load volume of between 590 and 1550 litres, the luggage compartment offers a lot of room despite the flat, sporty lines of the roof, and is easy to use thanks to the automatically opening tailgate fitted as standard. A load compartment cover also protects luggage from prying eyes.

The standard air suspension at the rear helps to ensure optimum road holding at all times. For additional flexibility, the rear seat backrests can be folded down from the luggage compartment as standard.

The rear seats themselves provide room for three people, with individual seats on the outsides and a third seat in the middle. The three saddle-type head restraints on the rear seats barely affect the view towards the rear, and can be lowered at the touch of a button by the driver.

The model features frameless, all-aluminium doors made from deep-drawn aluminium panels with extruded sections, and in comparison with conventional steel doors, are some 24 kilograms lighter.

The CLS Shooting Brake will be available in the Middle East in three different engine variants: the CLS 350 BlueEfficiency producing 306 hp, CLS 500 BlueEfficiency with a V8 biturbo engine producing 408 hp and the top of the range CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake delivering 557 hp. Features common to all engines include the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission as well as the ECO start/stop function.

Efficiency is also increased by the standard electro-mechanical power steering EPS (Electric Power Steering). The electromechanical power steering also enables another innovation to be implemented – Active Park Assist. The CLS Shooting Brake is not only able to detect parking spaces, but can also park automatically.

More than a dozen driving assistance systems help to prevent traffic accidents and reduce the severity of an accident. Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist are available as part of the Driving Assistance package Plus, in combination with Distronic Plus, BAS Plus and the Pre Safe Brake. – TradeArabia News Service