Mercedes and Subaru have both launched new models on to the Irish car market this week.
Mercedes-Benz has announced the imminent arrival of its new CLA Shooting Brake. Based on the compact CLA coupe-saloon (itself based on the A-Class hatchback), the Shooting Brake is intended to act as smaller brother to the larger, more prestigious, more expensive CLS Shooting Brake.
While this is a car far more about style than practicality, Mercedes is hoping that it might attract Irish customers to home an estate car, which is still something of an image no-no. We still regularly lag behind our British and European cousins, by as much as 40 per cent, when it comes to buying estates.
![](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6B3DIFOGBZE7SIHIQDPQV3RQ5I.jpg?auth=0f254f171d7df4812634f556518b4f8b831c80095eb553c1471a30d848de86b7&width=800&height=450)
Ireland is the last western European bastion of the traditional four-door saloon. As compared with the four-door CLA, the Shooting Brake gets a more practical boot, expanding from 495 litres to 1,354 litres if you tip the rear seats forward.
Those rear seats also get a useful extra 40mm of headroom. The most affordable CLA Shooting Brake is the 1.6-litre, 122bhp petrol CLA180 which will retail at €31,490 while if you want a diesel, you’ll have to upgrade to the 2.1-litre CLA200 CDI for €36,125.
Ciaran Allen, sales manager for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in Ireland, said: "The CLA Shooting Brake fills an important niche amongst that expanding segment of the market whose preference is for a car that has load-carrying capacity and more scope for an active life."
Rugged
Meanwhile, Subaru is updating its rugged Forester SUV. It can now be had with a “Lineartronic” CVT automatic transmission fitted to its familiar 150bhp 2.0 litre diesel engine. Subaru claims that the “characteristics of the transmission have been improved with additional soundproofing, while a manual paddle-shift mode provides drivers with seven pre-set ‘gears’ for greater control of the engine.” Subaru quotes a 46mpg average fuel economy figure and 158g/km of CO2 emissions.
Inside, there’s a new seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system that is fully smartphone compatible and prices for the 2.0 diesel automatic now kick off at €37,995.