On the rougher tarmac in Mallorca that’s similar to the UK’s pockmarked roads, there was slightly more road noise coming into the cabin and a touch of wind noise from around the side mirrors, but otherwise the cabin is a quiet, serene place to chew through the miles.
The hybrid CLA Shooting Brake starts from £39,715, while the EV is available from £40,150, which is only about £1,000 more than the equivalent saloon. That makes choosing between the bodystyles very easy, but there are also no fewer than six powertrains – three hybrid and three electric – plus five trim levels: Sport, Sport Edition, AMG Line Executive, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus.
Thankfully, as intimidating as that all sounds, every CLA Shooting Brake features a panoramic glass roof, 14-inch central touchscreen, a 10.25-inch instrument display, 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, Mercedes’ Distronic adaptive cruise control system and driver-assistance tech including blind-spot assist.
If you upgrade to one of the AMG Line trims, you get slightly sportier styling, sports seats with artificial leather and suede upholstery, and a Nappa leather steering wheel. Top-of-the-line models feature the full Superscreen set-up with a 14-inch passenger screen, a Burmester 3D surround-sound system, a head-up display and a hands-free tailgate.
It will be interesting to see how BMW responds with the next-generation 3 Series Touring, specifically the all-electric i3 Touring that’s coming soon and could potentially offer more than 500 miles of range. Whatever happens, the beloved estate car is clearly going nowhere.
| Model: | Mercedes CLA 250+ Electric Shooting Brake Sport Executive |
| Price: | £46,400 |
| On sale: | Now |
| Powertrain: | 85kWh battery, 1x e-motor |
| Power/torque: | 268bhp/335Nm |
| Transmission: | Two-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 6.8 seconds |
| Top speed: | 130mph |
| Range: | 467 miles |
| Max. charging | 320kW (10-80% in 22 mins) |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,723/1,855/1,469mm |
