All the style, but none of the sacrifices. This is what happens when you cross Mercedes’ sleek CLK coupé with a spacious estate. It’s called the CLT, and as our exclusive pictures show, it will be the first three-door estate ever built by the firm.
The newcomer follows hot on the heels of our E-Class spy shots (Issue 1,026), and the similarities between the two are clear. The large grille, twin headlights and sculpted bonnet on this car mimic the next exec, and point the way for Mercedes’ future design direction.
Up to the point where the B-pillar would normally be, this car is identical to the CLK. Beyond that, the roofline is extended, creating a big boot, a huge side glass area and a low, elongated profile. The shooting brake design means owners can have all this extra space with the style and uncluttered shape of a much smaller model.
While top brass are agreed on the CLT’s good looks, they also commissioned designers to come up with a shooting brake version of the SLK, to go head-to-head with the BMW Z4 coupé. But the CLK variant got the go-ahead, as they concluded it had a more attractive shape.
And the CLT looks set to be as exciting under the bonnet as it is to look at. Sources tell us a Bluetec diesel hybrid drivetrain, in two states of tune, is likely to make production. The electric motor will be squeezed under the engine, with its lithium-ion batteries being packaged elsewhere in the cabin.
The standard CLK coupé, due early next year, will feature two new 3.0-litre petrol engines, producing 268bhp or 296bhp, as well as a 2.2 turbodiesel with 201bhp and a top-of-the-range 4.6-litre petrol V8 with 429bhp. It’s not clear which of these engines will be selected for the CLT, although the car will debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, and go on sale some time in 2010.
