THE COUPE that thinks it's a load lugging estate car.
It's hardly a new concept - Reliant came up with it in the shape of the Scimitar GTE back in the swinging sixties - but with typical panache, Mercedes is about to take the idea a stylish step further.
Enter the CLS Shooting Brake...the saloon that thinks it's a coupe, that thinks it's an estate car.
With sleek coupe styling, four doors, seats for five, a big luggage platform and a tailgate it creates a market segment all of its own.
According to Mercedes-Benz: "It is a special proposition for people looking to differentiate themselves from the mainstream, and who do not wish to compromise on either sportiness or stowage space when it comes to travelling in style."
With a load volume of between 590 and 1550 litres, the luggage compartment offers a lot of room despite the flat, sporty lines of the roof, and should be easy to access thanks to the automatically opening tailgate fitted as standard.
In standard spec, the luggage area floor is carpeted, but the CLS Shooting Brake offers an extravagant and unique feature in the form of an optional wooden luggage compartment floor made from American cherry tree wood and inlaid with smoked oak and aluminium rails.
There's standard air suspension at the rear and two versions will be on offer when it goes on sale in the UK in November, each fitted with Mercedes' 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission as well as the company's ECO start/stop function.
The entry-level model will be the CLS 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY producing 204 hp the six-cylinder CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY producing 265 hp topping the range for the moment.
More than a dozen driving assistance systems will be available as will automatic parking and full LED high performance headlamps, making it only the second car to feature this innovative, Mercedes-developed technology.
However, final specifications and pricing will not be confirmed until nearer to the new model's arrival in British showrooms.