Mercedes AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake review

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake is a stylish, yet more practical, version of the uber-slinky CLA 45 Coupe. It looks almost identical to its coupe cousin from the front, but from the side, you’ll notice it has a much longer roof and more upright rear windscreen that make it significantly roomier inside.

Other visual highlights include a lowered front bumper, contrasting black rear diffuser and a set of two large exhaust pipes at the back. Bigger wheels and larger brakes than on the standard Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake are also out in force.

Inside, you get a set of more supportive, body-hugging sports seats along with a flat-bottomed steering wheel and some metal gear-shift paddles that contribute to making the AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake’s cabin feel significantly more sporty than the standard car’s.

The CLA Shooting Brake’s dual-screen infotainment system has been carried over, but you do get some cool AMG-specific graphics that you can customise using shortcut buttons on the steering wheel.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 hatchback is hardly an ugly thing, but this sleek CLA is surely one of Mercedes’ best-looking performance cars.

Mercedes has been busy tinkering away under the AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake’s bonnet, too. The engine producing all that power is a snarling turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol offering 421hp, while all cars get a snappy dual-clutch eight-speed automatic gearbox and grippy all-wheel drive as standard. 

Just like in other AMG-tuned 45 models (including the hatchback and coupe), the Shooting Brake comes with adjustable suspension as standard that lets you switch between comfortable and stiffer, sportier setups. You also get plenty of advanced safety kit including an optional adaptive cruise control system that’ll accelerate, brake and steer for you on motorways.

All these features add up to make the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 Shooting Brake rather expensive for a small-yet-sporty family car, so why not head over to our carwow Mercedes deals page to see how much you can save on your next car?