Preview: Mercedes Benz CLA 45 AMG

It’s a small estate with a seriously powerful four-cylinder engine…not your average family car

The new Mercedes CLA 45 has been described (by Mercedes) as ‘avant-garde meets driving performance’. With ‘avant-garde’ being perhaps a tad strong to describe a small estate car, what the brand lacks in modesty, it does make up for in engineering prowess. With an output of 265 kW (360 horsepower) and peak torque of 450 Newton metres, the 2.0ltr turbo engine is the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine in series production.

Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG, recently said: “The continued high demand for our high-power compact models more than justifies our decision to launch another exceptionally dynamic high-performance car in the form of the new CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake.

“This means that Mercedes-AMG now boasts the most varied model line-up in this segment. The CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake serves up an enthralling blend of supreme power and dynamic handling on the one hand plus efficiency and everyday practicality on the other, all beautifully packaged within an extraordinary design.”

Modest indeed. However, the all-wheel drive Mercedes is designed to look sporty and it does succeed, with a prominent radiator grille, elongated roof line and ‘Turbo AMG” branded wings. This sportiness is continued into the interior too, with sports seats in leather with red topstitching and red seat belts for that boy racer edge.

‘Cool’ and ‘estate’ don’t often go together in the same sentence, but in this case it’s hard to deny it. The CLA 45 AMG Shooting Brake is an estate with style.

It’s also coming to the UK in 2015, so watch this space…

www.mercedes-benz.co.uk