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Scroll Instagram long enough and you start to believe in second chances. A digital artist has taken Mercedes' discontinued CLS and reimagined it as a Shooting Brake: elongated, low, and insistently elegant. It looks ready for a Sunday drive, even if it exists only in pixels.
The virtual Shooting Brake that feels plausibly real
Shared by @sugardesign_1, these CGI images borrow heavily from Mercedes' Vision Iconic Concept. The grille wears that same theatrical presence, and the headlights get the concept's star-shaped daytime lights. Yet the render isn't a slavish copy. The hood and bumper get fresh treatment, while the taillights echo current Mercedes cues without feeling recycled.
Look closer and you see the contradictions that make the render charming. The roofline stretches far back, arched like a coupe's promise. Chrome trims gleam low on the body. The tailgate is narrow and neat, which gives the rear a clean, premium look but suggests bulky cargo might be a tight fit. The wheels are playful—odd, but oddly appealing.
The artist went further than a single image. Multiple angles, colorways, and trim ideas turn the concept into a mini catalog. That level of attention does two things: it makes you pine for a real Shooting Brake, and it highlights why car fans keep asking manufacturers to take risks with shape and utility.
Mercedes stopped producing the CLS in August 2023 after three generations. The last cars rolled out of the Sindelfingen plant and shared platforms and components with the E-Class and S-Class families, plus the GT 4-Door Coupe. Powertrains ranged from a 1.5-liter electrified unit for China to inline four- and six-cylinder petrols, a couple of diesels, and all paired to a nine-speed automatic. Layouts were front-engine with rear- or all-wheel drive.
Would a real CLS Shooting Brake find buyers today? Maybe. Crossovers still dominate showroom floors. And yet, there's a persistent, vocal minority that prefers a low-slung wagon: better balance, more style, and a practical hatch. Renderings like this are reminders of what mainstream brands could revive if they dared to nudge buyers out of their SUV comfort zones.
So do you miss the CLS? Scroll, save, and imagine. And if enough people ask, who knows—perhaps someone at Mercedes is already watching the same images and smiling.
Source: autoevolution
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