{"id":7192,"date":"2026-04-13T14:26:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=7192"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:34:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:34:42","slug":"mercedes-amg-cla-shooting-brake-eq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/mercedes-amg-cla-shooting-brake-eq\/","title":{"rendered":"Our photographer just caught Mercedes-AMG’s new 544 hp electric Shooting Brake at the N\u00fcrburgring \u2014 and there’s bad news for American buyers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mercedes-AMG\u2019s upcoming CLA Shooting Brake EQ is almost finished testing. But it hasn\u2019t graduated quite yet: our photographer recently spotted it undergoing tough, presumably late-stage testing at the N\u00fcrburgring. For the two of you who don\u2019t know, that\u2019s a legendary 13-ish mile racetrack (which is also a public highway, legally) in Germany. It\u2019s hosted some of the most iconic races of all time, and manufacturers absolutely love testing there.<\/p>\n

The standout feature is undoubtedly the deployable active rear wing. It\u2019s integrated into the liftgate-mounted spoiler and can adjust itself as needed to provide less drag, more drag, or a bit of extra downforce. Given the performance-forward nature of the upcoming AMG, the inclusion of one of these was pretty much a given.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s nice to see it in action on an iconic race track.<\/p>\n

Big changes have also been made to the front fascia. Fans will note the heavily revised front bumper, as well as the aero-efficient front grille. While the vehicle is heavily camouflaged, you may be able to make out the new outer-side intake ducts, and note that the lower grille opening has gotten a little larger.<\/p>\n

If you look at the side shot, you\u2019ll notice the vehicle\u2019s hefty brake disks and red calipers. As those of you familiar with track driving know, brakes are pretty important, and standard brakes will overheat within a few corners. The hefty components hiding beneath the AMG-design rims show that this is a vehicle built for performance. Oh, and there\u2019s a star logo in the headlights because that\u2019s what Mercedes does<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This string of spy shots didn\u2019t include a good look at the interior, though getting that kind of shot is hard when the target is belting around one of the world\u2019s most demanding racetracks at high speed. So we\u2019re giving the cameraman a little slack here. Still, we\u2019ve heard that the CLA Shooting Brake EQ is going to be using the new MB.OS operating system. This comes with an AI-powered virtual assistant, as many vehicles do these days. Mercedes has built its navigation system on Google Maps. Plus, the inside is probably similar to what we saw in the upcoming GLA EQ<\/a>, just tailored to fit the smaller vehicle.<\/p>\n

The performance is there, but the sound may not be<\/h2>\n

If rumors are to be believed, the Mercedes-AMG CLA Shooting Brake EQ is packing an eye-watering 544 horsepower, which is produced by three axial flux motors working in tandem.<\/p>\n

While Mercedes is yet to confirm the tri-motor setup, months of leaks, spy shots, and general speculation point towards the Shooting Brake EQ having this exact configuration.<\/p>\n

Gallery<\/h2>\n