SPY PICS: Next Mercedes-Benz CLA spotted testing

Mercedes-Benz appears close to a public unveiling of its new CLA range, including the Shooting Brake body style.

Only lightly disguised, the new sedan and wagon have been caught by spy photographers while running around Stuttgart, the hometown of Mercedes-Benz.

Contrary to rumours that the follow-up to the current Mercedes-Benz CLA would move to a liftback tailgate, the subject of the spy pics appears to be sticking with a conventional boot lid and fixed rear window.

This car is definitely the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, with its rounder, shallower roofline at the rear -- not the A-Class sedan. Other points of difference are anticipated to include bumpers and lights.

Powertrains for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA will likely trickle down from the latest A-Class – and that means there will be two AMG variants for the new CLA: the CLA 45 and lower performance CLA 35.

Based on the A 35 hatch, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 should develop 225kW and 400Nm. Torque from the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder will be channelled through a dual-clutch transmission to all four wheels.

Also lifted from the A-Class will be the interior design, and no doubt the MBUX infotainment system will be a key element of that.

The other car shown here – in heavier disguise – is the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake. Like the CLA sedan, the Shooting Brake is expected to be available in both AMG versions, and the CLA 45 could feature mild-hybrid powertrain technology.

Approximately six months will separate the respective global launches, with the sedan due for release in the northern hemisphere spring of 2019 (our autumn). The CLA Shooting Brake will follow in the northern hemisphere autumn.