Is it a saloon? Is it a coupé? Is it an estate car? Mercedes chooses to call its new concept a ‘four-door coupé with sloping tail end’, as the car makes its debut at the Beijing motor show which opens this week.

Titled the Shooting Break (although we’d prefer the more usual spelling of shooting brake), the concept is an estate version of the new CLS – wide and flat, with a long bonnet and a roof which continues through to the rear.

“The design of the front is completely new”, says Mercedes, but there are plenty of elements from the SLS AMG. Note the radiator grille, in particular, although here it is flanked by full LED headlamps.

From the side, the high, exaggerated beltline sweeps back towards the rear, while the coupé character is emphasised by the low window design with polished aluminium trim.

As you might expect, the interior is dominated by natural wood and leather, plus there’s an eye-catching full-length centre console. A nice touch, given the ‘shooting brake’ status, is the wooden floor of the luggage compartment, where dark-stained oak contrasts with inlaid aluminium strips.

Under the bonnet is the forerunner to Mercedes’ forthcoming new V-engine generation. The 3.5-litre V6 has a 60° cylinder angle and direct injection (with a lean-burn system), producing 306PS and torque of 370Nm.

Text:Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Mercedes-Benz