Mercedes announces prices for the new CLS Shooting Brake

Mercedes has announced specifications for the Shooting Brake estate version of its four-door coupé, the CLS.

Prices will start at £49,360 and rise to £83,030 for the CLS 63 AMG version – and there'll be plenty of opportunity to spend more on an extensive list of options as well.

Apart from the CLS 63 AMG, which uses a petrol V8, all models in the initial line-up will have diesel engines. Cars badged 250 CDI will use a 204 horsepower version of Mercedes' 2.15-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, while 350 CDIs get the company's 3.0-litre V6, which produces 265 horsepower. All cars have Mercedes' seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox, and fuel-saving stop-start technology. At first sight, the 2.15-litre diesel might look a bit out of place in the sporty CLS, but it produces a hefty 500Nm of torque and is also a popular choice even in Mercedes' SLK roadster.

Standard equipment across the range includes sat-nav, a DAB radio, leather upholstery and Bi-xenon headlamps. An AMG Sport package (not to be confused with the full-blown AMG car) is available for a premium of £2,995 on the 250 and 350 CDI models; this includes features such as LED headlamps, AMG body parts, sports suspension and larger alloy wheels. Airmatic semi-active air suspension costs £1,150, while an American Cherry Wood load-space floor, a feature that drew a lot of attention when Mercedes unveiled the Shooting Brake for the first time earlier this year, comes in at £4,030.

The CLS Shooting Brake should be able to build upon the popularity of the existing four-door model, but will also face strong competition from the soon-to-be-introduced Sportbrake estate version of Jaguar's XF.