Hot Mercedes Shooting Brake spied

The Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake has been spied by our photographers wearing less cladding, revealing the shape of the Sporting Brake model that’s due next year.

Although it is more practical than the CLS coupe, it is unlikely buyers will have the Sporting Brake for its extra practicality and more so for looks. The platform and engine for the CLS are shared with the E63 AMG, with a more practical and equally fast E63 AMG estate already on sale.

The CLS Sporting Brake will therefore have to impress on the style front and the AMG tuned version certainly looks the part. Swollen wheel arches, huge alloy wheels, an aggressive front bumper with single slat grille and quad exhausts all help define this as the range-topping AMG version.

The Shooting Brake name is usually reserved for two-door estates, however as the CLS is referred to as a four-door coupe, the name has been applied to the estate version.

Only one engine will be available in the AMG tuned CLS; the M157 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8. In standard form, 518bhp and 516lb ft of torque is available but the optional Performance package increases power and torque to 550bhp and 590lb ft.

Performance figures are yet to be confirmed, but expect it to be close to the coupe’s 0-62mph time of 4.4secs and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph.

Tim Watson