MERCEDES BENZCLS Shooting Brake AMG (X218) 2014 - 2018

　　Mercedes-Benz had to prepare its cars for the Euro 6b emission standards, which became mandatory starting in September 2014 in Europe, and as a result, it had to upgrade the CLS lineup in the car’s both shapes: four-door coupe and shooting brake.

　　The German automaker introduced the second generation of the CLS in 2011, and after three years on the market, it wasn’t considered old. Still, Mercedes-Benz had to update it, and along with the engine lineup, it also refreshed the car’s exterior and interior. In addition, the AMG version was also updated, but mostly in terms of styling and features. The automaker also added more ponies to the V8 engine under the hood and modified the suspension for improved handling over its predecessor.

　　Mercedes-Benz CLS was the only automaker to provide a coupe-shaped station wagon, a shape that was mostly known as a shooting brake. The car offered a sporty look but still offered plenty of room for a family and a large trunk to carry anything. It was both a grocery-getter and a sports car. At the front, the 2014 CLS Shooting Brake AMG featured a new grille that boasted a double horizontal chromed slat where the three-pointed star badge took center stage. It was flanked by restyled LED headlights, with an option for multibeam LED technology. On the front apron, the well-known A-shaped AMG grille sported body color and was flanked by wide air intakes. The S-versions of the CLS AMG got piano-black trims around them, while the non-S model featured chromed ones. From its profile, the shooting brake shape remained unchanged, but bystanders could notice the new brake calipers, which were painted red for the AMG S63 and bronze for those fitted with carbo-ceramic rotors. Finally, at the back, the automaker installed darker taillights mounted only on the quarter panels, while underneath the bumper, the car got four rectangular exhausts that flanked a broad diffuser.

　　Inside, the CLS AMG boasted a luxurious, leather-wrapped interior adorned with carbon fiber trims on the dashboard, the center console, and door cards. The driver fronted an analog, binocular-styled instrument cluster where the speedometer took center stage and also housed an LCD display at the bottom that showed data from the car’s onboard computer. In addition, atop the center stack, Mercedes-Benz placed the 8” screen for the infotainment system, controlled via a rotary knob on the center console. Just like its predecessor, the CLS AMG Shooting brake featured high-bolstered bucket seats at the front and a 40/20/40 split-folding bench seat in the back profiled for two adult-sized passengers. The seatback could fold and expand the trunk space up to 1,550 liters (54.7 cu-ft.) from 589 liters (20.8 cu-ft.).

　　But the most significant upgrades happened under the car’s skin. AMG increased the power from 525 PS (518 HP) to 557 PS (550 HP) for the regular AMG 63. The 63S version reached 585 PS (577 HP) from the same 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. Both versions were paired with a seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) MCT gearbox that was tuned for faster gear changes than the 2011 AMG 63 model.

　　load press release