
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Gets the Svelte Shooting Brake Treatment
The CLA Shooting Brake pairs extra cargo space with a panoramic glass roof with illuminated star design elements.
The CLA Shooting Brake will go on sale in Europe next spring, but it won't be sold on our side of the pond.
The third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA-class arrives this fall as an electric compact sedan, with a hybrid variant joining the lineup early next year. Now, the CLA is spawning the German automaker's first electric station wagon, with the newly revealed CLA Shooting Brake pairing the electric powertrain with a swoopy longroof body.
Ahead of the B-pillar, the CLA Shooting Brake shares its sheetmetal with the sedan. Its wide grille and unusual headlights are linked by a light bar. Unlike the sedan, however, the roofline doesn't drop as dramatically, although it does still curve downwards more than a traditional wagon with a descending window line that gives it a sleek, aerodynamic appearance. A small rear spoiler juts out over the rear window and the full-width taillight.
Mercedes-Benz
The CLA Shooting Brake also sports a large panoramic glass roof, which incorporates heat-insulating laminated glass to help reduce the impact of the summer sun on the cabin and minimize heat loss during the winter. As an option, the glass roof can also transform from transparent to opaque at the push of a button. It even includes built-in ambient lighting, a first for Mercedes. The glass features 158 stars that can glow in an array of colors, with the light fed from the front of the panel by LED modules.
Mercedes says the longer roof gives rear passengers an extra inch or so of headroom and also provides extra storage space, offering 46 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded flat. The frunk adds an additional 4 cubes of cargo room, and the CLA Shooting Brake comes standard with roof rails in case you need to carry even more stuff.
Mercedes-Benz
Like the sedan, the Shooting Brake will be initially offered as an EV. The rear-wheel-drive CLA250+ makes 268 horsepower and has a 473-mile range, per Europe's optimistic WLTP cycle, which translates to a roughly 400-mile range by EPA test standards. The dual-motor CLA350 adds all-wheel drive and ups the output to 349 horsepower, while range drops slightly to around 386 miles.
All CLA EVs have a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle, with first gear aiding acceleration and second gear providing adequate power at higher speeds. The CLA250+ Shooting Brake can go from zero to 62 mph in 6.8 seconds, Mercedes claims. Both models feature an 85-kWh battery and an 800-volt architecture that allows fast-charging at up to 320 kilowatts. Mercedes says more EV variants will join the lineup next year, as will a hybrid powertrain as seen on the sedan.
The Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake is set to go on sale in Europe in March 2026. Sadly, Mercedes confirmed to Car and Driver that the CLA will be sold exclusively as a sedan in the United States, so we will have to admire it from afar.
Caleb Miller
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Verge
2 minutes ago
- The Verge
PeakDo makes the ultra-portable Starlink Mini ultra-convenient
The Starlink Mini satellite dish is now even better thanks to the $119 LinkPower 1 power bank from PeakDo. The battery locks securely to the back of SpaceX's smallest terminal and provides over 4.5 hours of uninterrupted Internet connectivity. The LinkPower's battery can also charge simultaneously over USB-C from your car, solar generator, or solar panel for indefinite Internet use. Then the tidy little package can be slipped into a backpack or tote for your next adventure. Starlink is a life-changing Internet service that connects people and villages too remote for towers and cables to reach. My own Starlink Mini has been critical in helping me pursue life as a digital nomad from almost anywhere in Europe. And right now, Starlink's the only game in town for relatively cheap and fast consumer internet that can be quickly deployed into data dead spots. My overriding thought after using the PeakDo LinkPower for the last few weeks is this: why doesn't SpaceX make one of these? 9 Verge Score The LinkPower power bank bungs 99Wh right into the slot on the back of the Starlink Mini just like one of SpaceX's official mounts. It powers the little dish via a short DC-to-DC barrel connector. It makes the Starlink Mini a self-contained unit that can be placed anywhere within Wi-Fi range. That includes on top of your vehicle or shack, or in a distant clearing where it has a clear line-of-sight to satellites overhead — no long power cables required. The PeakDo unit has a bi-directional USB-C PD port to charge devices like your phone at up to 65W, or to share 100W of input to simultaneously power the Starlink and charge the LinkPower's battery. An integrated display lets you monitor the power on both ports. The single button on the LinkPower acts like an on/off switch for the Starlink Mini. Press it once to turn on the integrated display or hold it down to turn on the DC output that powers the Starlink Mini. The USB-C port is always on standby to deliver power, but I didn't notice any vampire drain as a result. For example, I put it away with a 98 percent charge, and five days later it still said 98 percent. Remote monitoring and control are possible over Bluetooth with a web app. This works on Android, Mac (with Chrome), and PC desktops, but iPhones require a special browser that supports Web Bluetooth APIs. It was a little janky regardless of platform, but also useful when the dish was sitting on the roof of my van, for example. It's the only way to access advanced features such as creating on/off schedules for the Starlink Mini. I averaged a whopping 4 hours and 35 minutes of battery life over repeated tests, with seven devices active on the Starlink Mini. When I reviewed the Mini back in October, I was only getting about 3 hours from my own 99Wh power bank – a good indication that the continuous stream of firmware updates delivered to my Starlink Mini terminal have improved power efficiency. That runtime can be extended by plugging a USB-C cable between the LinkPower and your car, power station, portable solar panel, or even a standard power bank you might use for your phone. Not having to worry about carrying special equipment just for the Starlink Mini has been incredibly liberating. Normally, the Starlink Mini requires an AC wall jack or battery with 100W (20V/5A) USB-C PD port to operate, along with specialized cables fitted with weather-resistant 5221 barrel jacks. But with the PeakDo LinkPower plugged in, you can easily keep it charged with the same gear that charges your laptops, phones, and other USB-C gadgets. My Sprinter van's USB-C jacks only provide about 19W of power, but a USB-C adapter plugged into its 12V socket produces over 30W of the 120W available, easily covering the 22W average power draw of the Starlink Mini. Not having to worry about carrying special equipment – those SpaceX cables are long! – just for the Starlink Mini has been incredibly liberating. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully recharge the PeakDo LinkPower over USB-C from a 100W source, while simultaneously keeping the StarLink Mini running. The LinkPower's display was showing 55W – 60W coming in over USB-C to charge the battery, and another 18W – 26W over DC to power the Starlink Mini. I found the USB-C charging rate maxed out at about 60W, whether the Starlink was being powered or not. And pulling the USB-C charger never interfered with the operation of the Starlink Mini when starting or stopping the van. One knock against the PeakDo LinkPower's battery is its resistance to dust and water. It has an IPX4 rating, significantly worse than the Starlink Mini's IP67 rating. That means the LinkPower is not certified against dust — though PeakDo calls it 'dustproof' — and it's only tested to resist splashing water. So, it's probably not a good idea to mount it on the roof when driving in rain or on dusty roads. Regardless, the Starlink Mini works well from inside moving vehicles when mounted against a glass sunroof or sitting on the dashboard of a van. PeakDo claims an operating range of 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) to -20 C (-4F). That means the battery should be fine on top of your vehicle's extra hot roof during sunny summer days, but could struggle in very cold winters. The Starlink Mini's operating temperature range is 50C (122F) to -30C (-22F). Using the LinkPower means you can't use the kickstand or other SpaceX mount with the Starlink Mini. The power bank does have three ¼-inch holes for a tripod or other aftermarket mounts if you're really bent on locking in a perfect orientation to the sky. I don't bother with this: it's never made much difference in my months of regular use. I don't have any real gripes with PeakDo's LinkPower power bank. The battery adds an additional 645g (1.42lb) to the 1.1kg (2.43lb) Starlink Mini, making it feel solid, not heavy. It was previously at risk of blowing away in strong winds. At $119, it costs about twice as much as other 99Wh power banks with 100W USB-C PD outputs, but it's worth it. By untethering the Starlink Mini, the PeakDo LinkPower 1 power bank opens up a world of new placement possibilities. Everything you need is in a self-contained kit that can be fired up with the press of a button for over four hours of operation — or longer with a simple USB-C power source. I already gave the ultra-portable Starlink Mini a 9/10 when I reviewed it last year. Making it ultra-convenient with some help from PeakDo edges it even closer to perfection for people with a desire to get up and go. Photography by Thomas Ricker / The VergePosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Thomas Ricker Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Accessory Reviews Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Reviews Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech

Wall Street Journal
32 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
European Carmakers Trade Higher on Hopes of Tariff Agreement
Shares in European carmakers gained in early trading after a U.S. tariff agreement with Japan sparked optimism for the auto industry. President Trump wrote in a social-media post on Tuesday that he would set reciprocal tariffs at 15% for Japan. Levies on autos would also be lowered to 15% from their current 25%, Tokyo's chief trade negotiator said, a development that lifted Asian auto stocks.

Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AP Top Extended Financial Headlines at 4:17 a.m. EDT
General Motors' profit and revenue declined in its second-quarter but the automaker's results managed to easily top Wall Street's expectations and the company stuck by its full-year financial outlook that it lowered in May