Mercedes calls it a shooting brake, but what matters is that this wagon packs the world's most powerful production four cylinder at 360 horsepower. And some added practicality. Call me in.
While the Swedish might start a new chapter in How To Build A 2.0 Turbo Four soon, as of today, Mercedes-Benz is king of the hill.
Their AMG-tuned four-cylinder is a masterpiece generating 181 horsepower-per-liter and 332 foot pounds of torque between 2,250 and 5,000 rpm. That's enough to shoot this car to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds with the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox set to 'Sport.' There's also the 'Momentary M mode' just like in the AMG-GT which allows the driver to activate manual mode while in "C" (Controlled Efficiency) and "S" modes by pressing the up or down shift paddle once.
You get the same all-wheel drive with up to a 50:50 split and a long list of other gadgets as in the A45 AMG, CLA45 AMG or the GLA45 AMG, but the new wagon is more versatile than the rest of the family, offering a maximum cargo space of roughly 48 cubic-feet, a large tailgate and increased headroom.
With AMG's axles featuring independent steering knuckles at the front, firmer springs and dampers, bigger anti-roll bars, plus cross-drilled brake discs and 235 wide rubber all round, the CLA45 AMG wagon won't feel or look slow in standard AMG trim. Naturally, you can also have it with bigger, 19-inch wheels and as many "TURBO AMG" badges as you want. Probably.
Mercedes will launch the car next March at the Geneva Motor Show together with the standard CLA Shooting Brake, but don't hold your breath for it to make it into the U.S. No worries though, there's always the GLA45 AMG, "which is basically a shorter version of the same thing" according to Matt Hardigree.