Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake review

Bonus time. The Shooting Brake is actually marginally cheaper than the less desirable saloon, model for model. Unless there's some spec-related jiggery-pokery here that we haven't clocked.

The range opens at Sport at £40,150 for the shorter-range 200, and £44,250 for the 250+ that'll do the whole 469-mile WLTP stretch. It has all the essentials really. Part-cloth seats are no hardship; there's a glass roof, and Apple CarPlay, but use the integrated navigation for long trips because it has a better charge planner.
A £2,150 premium above that steps you up to Sport Executive, adding annoying electric door handles, fake leather, ambient lighting, smartphone digital key and charging pad.

Then £2,450 more, it’s £48,850 for the 250+ which gets the first of the AMG line versions. That's also the first that allows the 350 4Matic powertrain which is about a £3,950 add-on. That trim line includes the option of some wild upholstery colour schemes. Contact points change: AMG seats and steering wheel.

Then come the AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus. These have 19-inch wheels, two-zone climate, memory seats, powered bootlid and the passenger screen with boosted internet data limit. The Plus adds a fabulous Burmester hi-fi and HUD, among others.

So you end up at £57,350 for the Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4Matic Shooting Brake AMG Line Premium Plus. Lotta name, lotta car.

At publication time lease prices haven't been settled, but because Mercedes has access to cheap corporate finance and residuals are strong, it can usually offer cheap-ish lease and PCP deals relative to the retail price.

Now, digital extras. As we mentioned above, lots of the sensors fitted as standard are disabled. Pay more and you can have them, permanently for a flat fee or temporarily for a subscription.

One more thing about charging. The disadvantage of Mercedes 800V system is it can't take power at all from chargers that run at 400 volts, which is any charger rated at under about 130kW. That is, unless you spec the CLA with an optional converter for £850. Although why you'd spend that money for the privilege of 90-minute DC charging when there are now plenty of more powerful chargers is a mystery to us. Your reviewer, who drives mostly electric in the UK, hasn't used a 400V charger for literally years.