We've already seen that both the CLA and the CLA Shooting Brake are available with yellow paint, but you won't be able to call it a sleeper wagon without the AMG treatment. This is the lesser version, called the CLA 35 4Matic Shooting Brake, but still a substantial upgrade over the CLA 250 that was presented in Geneva.
The name is a little too long, but this formula is easy to understand. It comprises of a 2-liter turbo with 306 HP and 400 Nm, a 7-speed DCT and electrically-engaged AWD system. This will get you from 0 to 100 km/h in around 5 seconds. All those numbers are superior to the classic Volvo wagon.
This is a relatively small niche, created when Volkswagen put the Golf R Variant into production. Europeans can also opt for the similarly engineered Leon ST Cupra.
At the moment, the chances of the CLA Shooting Brake being offered in America are lower than winning the Powerball. But if it does come, the AMG model would probably start from around $42,000. There aren't any direct rivals, but that's because most manufacturers aren't interested in this segment. Of course, you can argue that you get a lot of practicality from a $43,000 Ford Edge ST or even a Honda Civic Type R.
You could argue that all this Nurburgring testing explains why the CLA 35 is as expensive as a big Ford SUV. However, the AMG Shooting Brake wasn't the only car on the track that day, as a GLB-Class prototype can be seen just ahead of it. Both cars are based on the modular Mercedes compact car platform, but take different approaches to offer space.
