Benz Beijing concept previews CLS wagon?
Proof positive: Chris Bangle has moved to Benz and changed his name to Gorden Wagener?Need convincing Mercedes-Benz is suffering an identity crisis? Check out the Shooting Break design concept pictured here. Surely those are BMW Z4 flame surfacing cues along the flanks.
The Shooting Break concept, which is to be unveiled at Auto China 2010 in Beijing, not only adopts some of the frontal styling language from the SLS AMG, it will introduce a new direct-injection V6 and dynamic LED headlights.
"The Shooting Break concept car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes Coupés, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further", says Professor Gorden Wagener, chief designer at Mercedes-Benz.
"At the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz."
We first reported three months ago that Mercedes-Benz was serious about a CLS wagon to keep honest BMW's 5 Series Gran Turismo and the yet unreleased Audi A7. Although the manufacturer is not admitting this car will go into production, the smart money says it will.
Even if the concept doesn't go into production, it's understood that the styling cues will be broadly incorporated into the design of the next-generation CLS sedan. This latest concept is an extension of ideas formed around the ConceptFASCINATION design study revealed 18 months ago in Paris. The earlier car previewed the way the production W212 E-Class coupe would look.
According to Benz, the Beijing concept is named after a horse-drawn carriage used to break horses. It was an archaic term revived in the 1960s and 70s by low-volume British companies such as Reliant, for its hybrid coupe/wagon sports car, the Scimitar. MB has revived the naming convention for this concept, which, properly speaking, has two too many doors to be a coupe of any kind -- least of all a coupe of the wagon kind (?)
The direct-injection V6 powering the Shooting Break has a 60-degree bank angle and displaces 3.5 litres for peak power and torque figures of 225kW and 370Nm, respectively. Benz has developed an auto-stop/start facility to boost fuel economy also.
20-inch wheels in a five-spoke design are shod with 255/30 ZR 20 tyres at the front and 285/25 ZR 20 tyres at the rear.
The LED headlights are said to offer performance and functionality comparable to contemporary bi-xenon technology, and work in five different modes: country, motorway, enhanced fog lights, active curve lights and cornering lights. Adaptive High-Beam Assist is an integral function of the new headlight system.
At the front, the Shooting Break features a soft nose designed to resemble the frontal styling of the SLS AMG. This design language is likely to be picked up by other new, production models of Mercedes-Benz over the next few years.
Inside, the concept is built around a four-seat cabin with wood and leather trim predominating. Dark-stained oak and aluminium loading strips set the tone for the luggage compartment, which is lined by four leather saddle bags for additional storage, and natural light is allowed into the cabin through a panoramic glass sunroof.
Look out for further reports from Auto China 2010.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
