Mercedes Riding Shooting Brake Renaissance
With Automakers slicing up niches in an effort to bolster sales from unlikely areas, Mercedes has been steadily at work riding the renaissance of shooting brake styled vehicles. With the release of their CLS shooting brake, Mercedes is leading the way in this segment, albeit out of range for most consumers.
That’s about to change with the release of the baby CLS, the CLA, an opportunity to expand the shooting brake niche. Meet the new CLA shooting brake.
Set to launch in 2014, Mercedes has decided on a shooting brake variant of the CLA saloon instead of exploring true coupe or convertible options for the CLA and A class. Mercedes Design Chief Gordon Wagener was quoted as saying “we don’t need a sports car, the market is declining.”
Desirability is difficult to bake into a product because of its dependence on perception and word of mouth, Mercedes is banking on desirability to fuel growth in this segment. Mercedes is producing cars that are not simply a pure luxury play, but something to have because of look and sound, bringing a new dimension to Mercedes ownership.

With Automakers slicing up niches in an effort to bolster sales from unlikely areas, Mercedes has been steadily at work riding the renaissance of shooting brake styled vehicles. With the release of their CLS shooting brake, Mercedes is leading the way in this segment, albeit out of range for most consumers.
That’s about to change with the release of the baby CLS, the CLA, an opportunity to expand the shooting brake niche. Meet the new CLA shooting brake.
Set to launch in 2014, Mercedes has decided on a shooting brake variant of the CLA saloon instead of exploring true coupe or convertible options for the CLA and A class. Mercedes Design Chief Gordon Wagener was quoted as saying “we don’t need a sports car, the market is declining.”
Desirability is difficult to bake into a product because of its dependence on perception and word of mouth, Mercedes is banking on desirability to fuel growth in this segment. Mercedes is producing cars that are not simply a pure luxury play, but something to have because of look and sound, bringing a new dimension to Mercedes ownership.