Mercedes-Benz bigwig Dr. Dieter Zetsche had just approved production plans for a second, more compact, shooting-brake model to join the upcoming CLS Shooting Brake.
The latest car will be based on the same MF platform set to underpin the next A- and B-Class models as well as the sub-C-Class CLC sedan, a sort of baby CLS model which is currently undergoing testing ahead of its official launch in 2013. The CLC Shooting Brake is slated for a 2014 launch and will be Mercedes’s answer to the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback and the upcoming BMW 3 Series GT.
Although the term “shooting brake”, strictly speaking, denotes a sort of coupe/estate hybrid with two long doors, the CLS Shooting Brake will reportedly feature a five-door layout with a steeply raked roofline that panders more to style than load-lugging duties.
Technical details are scant at present, but the CLC Shooting Brake is expected to feature a new range of petrol engines with direct-injection technology and either front- or all-wheel drivetrains.