The Mercedes Shooting Break concept is the quintessential definition of an ultra premium sporty wagon - and it looks like it could well be a new car in the product portfolio of the Mercedes range, ready to take on the BMW 5 GT head-to-head.
While the level of detailing of both the exterior and the interior of the Shooting Break concept is outstanding - from the front and rear lamps, exquisite side door mirrors, elegant satin aluminum metallic grey exterior paint, front grille and rear exhaust - it is the side profile the car that left us a bit perplexed. Unlike the simplified Ford Start concept, the body side surface of the Shooting Break treatment appears overloaded, and playing around with concave and convex surfaces doesn't help to disentangle the complexity of it.
Though it is a concept, the roof line also seems too compromised to allow for suitable interior space and it is detached from the DLO line, so there is no real stream of continuity. If then we include that the rear overhang is too long to be considered a ‘Shooting Break' and that the complete rear end loses proportion, finesse and surface judgment, it leaves us with mixed feelings about the overall resolution of the exterior design.
As with the F800, it is the interior that is the most striking, with a meticulously detailed environment that features a superbly balanced tone of brown colors, contrasting light beige with dark chocolate and exuding high quality and refinement. The 2+2 type seating configuration features rear bucket seats that are as upright as the front seats to highlight the exclusivity of the interior, but overall the cabin feels like that of a luxurious yacht, with aluminum trim laid out in key areas for good measure.
There is no doubt that the Shooting Break is a well-executed concept car, but it does make us question where Mercedes-Benz exterior design is headed. Since we know that from the front mask to the middle of the rear door the car informs the design of the forthcoming next-generation CLS, we reserve the right to wait until the final production design appears before we make our final judgment.
