The upcoming Mercedes CLS estate will take inspiration from the classic shooting brake format.
The new wagon, conceived as a modern-day interpretation of the shooting brake, is set to be revealed in concept car form at next month’s Beijing motor show. Although billed as a concept, it will be extremely close to the production version that has already been signed off.
See Autocar's artist's impression of the Mercedes CLS estate
Mercedes will also announce production plans for the new car, with a UK on-sale date of 2012 and a price of around £50,000.
The CLS estate is part of a broader plan to diversify the Mercedes line-up, with a range of niche cars adapted from more mainstream models and designed to appeal to a younger customer base than those on sale today.
More style statement than load-hauler, the CLS estate is set to provide buyers with an alternative to the BMW 5-series GT and the soon-to-be-launched Audi A7 - both of which have a conventional hatchback.
“Traditional rules don’t apply any more. Established segments are becoming increasingly fragmented,” said a Mercedes insider with knowledge of plans for the marketing of the new car.
The estate shares its front-end looks with the new CLS saloon. But from the B-pillar rearwards it receives its own individual styling.
As revealed in Autocar’s exclusive computer-generated image, the look of the new car is highly reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz’s well received Fascination concept from the 2008 Paris motor show. But while that car had pillarless construction with two doors, the CLS estate will retain the B-pillar and four-door layout of the saloon.
By providing the CLS with additional boot space, Mercedes-Benz hopes to attract customers who may have otherwise opted for a car such as the Audi A6 Avant or the new BMW 5-series Touring.
The idea for an estate version of the CLS is not entirely new. Mercedes’ designers created a similar concept in 2003 but, despite a great deal of internal support, it was never displayed in public. It ultimately became a victim of the company’s cost-saving CORE programme.
Before the CLS estate arrives we’ll see the successor to the current saloon. Seen in our spy pictures (overleaf) undergoing testing in final prototype form, it’s due to be unveiled at the Paris motor show in September.
Codenamed C218, the new CLS sits on the same underpinnings as the current E-class, with a 20mm longer wheelbase than today’s model along with a corresponding increase in length, taking it to around 4950mm. But as with the first-gen CLS, the new car is more about style than interior space.
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Re: Radical Merc CLS estate planned
Hmmm, I think quite the opposite.They've obviously identified a good niche, one that the Audi A6 enjoys at the moment on it's own. By that, I mean a reasonably good-looking premium brand car that marries the load carrying benefits of an Estate with a decent 3.0litre diesel engine and 4wd!
In this day and age, there are many people looking for that elusive "everyday" car - that's what I'm currently looking for, as a family man but one that still has a pulse and wants something with some poke but not compromising on the luxury bits.The 4wd bit is something that has become a bit more important for me of late because of the snowy weather we recently had - I want a car that I can rely on at all times!
So, that's why I've been contemplating an Audi A6 3.0TDi, but I would have much rather preferred a Merc that does the same job. That's what this car offers, and why I'd be very interested in one!
Re: Radical Merc CLS estate planned
Do you actually know anything about engines, because I just can't see your logic as to why V6s are "penny-pinching" compared to straight 6s. For a start, with a V6 you've got:
* 2 cylinders
* 2 sets of cams and associated assemblies (which are actually the most time-consuming to assemble!)
* more complex block casting
* more complex for machining
* more complex for cooling channels
* more costly for exhaust manifolds (ie 2 needed instead of 1)
So, I think you can see that it's actually the straight 6 that is penny-pinching!
The one downside compared to a straight 6 is that it would *tend* be less smooth (depends on the crank configuration and firing, etc), but it offers other benefits:
* Better packaging (ie a shorter, more square assembly to play with to get better front-rear weight balance in the car
* Lower center of gravity compared to a straight 6
* Exhaust system can be designed more optimally (ie bank feeding it's own separate exhaust system)
I like the smoothness of straight sixes, but I prefer the other benefits of a V6, ESPECIALLY when it costs more to produce.
Re: Radical Merc CLS estate planned
Looks surprisingly good. There is something mysteriously unresolved about the current CLS, the way it looks just a little bit too rounded. But this visual looks better balanced somehow.