- The Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology is the brand’s first electric wagon.
- Based on the same bones as the CLA sedan, it has a maximum estimated range of 473 miles on the WLTP cycle.
- Compared to its predecessor, the new CLA wagon is bigger and can tow more.
This is the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology. Despite it sounding like the title of a startup’s business case, this is a real car, and one that might very well become Mercedes-Benz’s cheapest electric wagon.
Based on the same architecture as the CLA sedan, the German automaker’s entry-level family hauler gets more of everything compared to its predecessor. But let’s start with the driving range, as that’s usually a sticking point for new EV buyers. And it’s all good here, at least on paper.
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
The base rear-wheel drive CLA 250+ Shooting Brake has a WLTP-rated range of 473 miles (761 kilometers), while the dual-motor CLA 300 Shooting Brake has a slightly lower estimated range of 453 miles (730 km). While a few miles short of the sedan, that’s more than enough for any occasion, and with the car’s 800-volt architecture and 320-kilowatt maximum charging power, stops should be quick, too. Mercedes-Benz says that a 10-minute charging session should result in 186 miles (300 km) of range, as long as a powerful enough DC fast charger is being used.
Both models share a nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery pack with a usable capacity of 85 kilowatt-hours. AC charging can be done at up to 22 kW.
Power-wise, the electric CLA wagon gets 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet (335 Newton-meters) of torque in the rear-wheel drive variant. Meanwhile, the all-wheel drive CLA 300 4Matic ups those figures to 348 hp and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm), respectively. As a result, the entry-level version can sprint from a standstill to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 6.8 seconds, with the more powerful variant cutting that time down to five seconds. The top speed is 130 mph (210 kph) for both.
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Source: Mercedes-Benz
Size-wise, the new CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology is bigger than its predecessor in every respect. The new wagon is 185.9 inches (4,723 millimeters) long, 73 in (1,855 mm) wide and 57.8 in (1,469 mm) tall, making it 1.3 in (35 mm) longer, 1 in (25 mm) wider and 1.1 in (27 mm) taller than the previous generation.
Curiously, despite the larger dimension, the trunk of the new CLA EV is smaller than before. At 16 cubic feet (455 liters), it’s 1 cu ft (30 liters) smaller, but thanks to the 3.5 cu ft (101 l) front trunk, the total capacity is bigger: with the rear seats upright, the electric CLA wagon can carry up to 19.6 cu ft (556 l); with the rear seats folded, the total capacity, including the frunk, is 49.1 cu ft (1,391 l). Compared to the CLA EV sedan, the wagon’s trunk is 2.1 cu ft (60 l) larger.
Inside, the electric wagon gets the same goodies as the sedan, including the optional three-screen MBUX infotainment system that comes with a 14-inch central display, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch separate screen for the front passenger. There’s also the option of a 12.2-inch head-up display.
Moreover, Mercedes-Benz is offering a large panoramic roof with heat-insulating glass and switchable transparency levels, enabling either opaque or transparent states at the flick of a button. But that’s not all, because for the first time ever, the panoramic roof in the electric CLA Shooting Brake is also illuminated with 158 stars.
Besides the two all-electric versions, the family-friendly CLA will also be available with a hybrid powertrain with 48V technology.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake with EQ Technology (try saying that three times in a row) will hit European streets in March 2026. In the United States, the electric wagon is unlikely to make an appearance, seeing how the previous generation was a forbidden fruit.