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The Mercedes-Benz CLA wagon will return to Australia later in 2026, with both hybrid and electric power on tap to mirror the sedan that has just launched.
Electric Cars
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the Shooting Brake wagon version of its new compact CLA sedan is due in Australia at the end of this year, with hybrid and electric options.
It will be the first wagon sold by Mercedes-Benz in Australia in five years, and the first based on the CLA since the original Shooting Brake was dropped in 2019.
The new CLA wagon is due in the fourth quarter of 2026 (October to December), following the sedan's arrival as a hybrid in recent weeks, and as an electric car in July.
“The Shooting Brake will be coming as well to give our customers even more choice within the CLA range,” said Adam Calello, Product Manager at Mercedes-Benz Australia.
“We will be launching the shooting brake, and as we get closer to launch, we'll provide further details on that, but it’s a really exciting addition to our range.”
The Shooting Brake, like the sedan, will be available in hybrid and fully-electric forms.
In Europe, the EV is offered with single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants offering 213kW and 260kW, respectively, paired with a two-speed transmission.
Both come with an 85kWh battery rated to be capable of up to 755km (RWD) and 726km (AWD) of WLTP driving range, and can charge at up to 320kW DC.
The CLA Shooting Brake will be the brand’s first electric wagon, and the first CLA wagon in several years, with only the first generation offered locally, not the second.
The wagon body style is already on sale in Europe, having launched there in March this year, with pricing in the UK starting at about GBP£50,000 (AUD$94,000).
In Australia, it is expected to command a premium of a few thousand dollars over a comparable CLA sedan, which is priced from $66,500 to $84,300 plus on-road costs as a hybrid, and $72,200 to $91,300 as an EV.
The CLA Shooting Brake is longer, wider and taller than its not-sold-in-Australia predecessor, although its boot is smaller at 455 litres (down 30L), and the floor is now 15mm higher than before.
The electric version will have an additional 101L of space under the bonnet.
Much of the equipment is likely to mirror that of the sedan, but with the option of an electrochromatic sunroof, which has a star pattern linked to the ambient lighting and can be dimmed via the infotainment system.
Mercedes-Benz representatives would not be drawn on which new CLA variant is expected to be most popular, or how much the wagon will actually cost when it arrives, although the price of entry for the new CLA sedan range has dropped by close to $7000.
“We don't really talk about how our prices come to be, but obviously, we wanted to have a competitive offer in the market and looking at the range of the CLA, we have an attractive entry point as well to the brand,” a spokesperson said.
Although not confirmed, it is likely a plug-in hybrid version of the CLA will come to Australian showrooms in the near future, though whether as the sedan or shooting brake remains to be seen.
“We have, in the current GLA, a plug-in hybrid, we have GLC, C-Class [PHEVs],” a brand spokesperson told media at a preview drive of the new CLA.
“For now, this is what we have, but [there’s not] much we can say about any other products that aren't available to us... You can speculate.”
In addition to the CLA Shooting Brake, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the new-generation GLB is on its way to Australia very soon, with both hybrid and electric power.
“We've also got the all-new GLB coming as well in both hybrid and electric form. We're aiming for Q3 [third quarter] to launch the GLB,” said Calello.
Pricing and specifications have yet to be detailed for the new GLB, but it will feature the same powertrains offered in the new CLA.
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A born-and-bred newshound, after graduating from a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Kent, Kathryn worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two award-winning regional newspapers, before joining the UK's biggest newspaper, The Sun. More recently, she has served as News Editor for Wheels, MOTOR, Street Machine, and 4x4 Australia magazines, and is one of only a few women to have served as a Wheels Car of the Year judge. Winner of the Newspress award for Scoop of the Year in 2025, Kathryn is best known at Drive for her powerful investigative feature writing, although she can also be found putting new cars through their paces and breaking news.
