SEXY and elegant are not normal descriptions of an estate car but they fit the latest from Mercedes to a tee.

The super-sleek CLS Shooting Brake is about to bring a touch of class to the load lugging league.

This is a car which drops into an exclusive niche where style complements substance in a luxury market.

Flashback to models such as the Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake, the Reliant Scimitar and Volvo's legendary P1800 of the 60s and 70s and the new take from Mercedes is reviving a well-heeled trend.

The CLS Shooting Brake will be available from the end of October and priced from £49,360 for a 2.2-litre diesel to more than £83,000 for a high performance 5.5-litre V8 in AMG specification.

Based on the latest generation of Mercedes' distinctive four door coupe the ‘brake' has been designed to make a statement inside and out.

An optional American Cherry Wood cargo bay floor will set you back another £4,000 but it finishes off the car like no other.

Compared to the CLS coupe the Shooting Brake is just half an inch longer and its sweeping roofline maintains the car's grabbing looks.

The tailgate is power operated and while not designed to be as rough and ready as a conventional estate the luggage capacity ranges from 590 to 1,550 litres which is adequately practical - 100 cases of wine will fit in without any trouble.

Unlike the coupe - which is strictly a four seater - the Shooting Brake can seat three in the back although the centre seat is on the firm side and abreast of the transmission tunnel.

As well as the 2.2-litre engine the car is also available with a three-litre V6 diesel which is much more suited to the car's purposes.

With 265bhp on tap as opposed to 204 the CLS 350 CDI has plenty of power all the way through its seven speed auto gearbox. It also sounds more refined than the smaller engine in the CLS 250 CDI.

Emissions run from 139g/km to 162 in the larger diesel and Mercedes is claiming average mpg to be 53.3 in the CLS 250 and 46.3 in the V6 which with AMG Sport trim adds £3,600 to the price.

On the road we found there was virtually nothing between the two in terms of economy - both hovering around 37 to the gallon on similar journeys.

Not only does the 350 feel the better of the two its AMG trim package includes full sat nav and multimedia equipment in the £55,995 price and from a handling point of view its firmer suspension makes the drive more engaging.

It is also fitted with LED lights which give the car a commanding presence on the road day or night.

The C63 AMG range topper is indulgence unlimited with its twin turbo V8 delivering near supercar performance of 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds, yet treated with respect it returns almost 28mpg.

The model line up is the same as that of the CLS coupe with the Shooting Brake costing £1,785 more - £1,150 extra for the C63 AMG.

Pandering to those who want something a little different from their cars, the Shooting Brake not only offers the snazzy wooden load liner on the options list but it can also be fitted with air suspension, a tow bar and roof rails for around another £3,000.

Classy it is and capable enough to be at home in town or country, the CLS Shooting Brake is about to herald a new trend.

Next up will be the Jaguar XF Sportbrake - another estate for the auto fashionistas and like the Mercedes a far cry from the wooden panelled utilitarian ‘brakes' so popular with the hunting, fishing and shooting sets of old.

The design may have changed but their appeal to those who enjoy the finer things in life is just the same.