AMG’s CLA 45 Is A Fast Electric Wagon Featuring An Active Spoiler | Carscoops

      The shooting-brake variant of the new baby EV features a motorized spoiler at the top of the rear hatch.

      Mercedes-AMG’s CLA 45 has been spotted for the first time in wagon form.

      This compact EV prototype is believed to be equipped with a triple-motor powertrain.

      A small electric wing at the rear hatch rises when the vehicle accelerates.

      BMW’s M division is not the only manufacturer revitalizing the performance wagon segment; its main competitor from Affalterbach, Mercedes-AMG, is doing so as well, as evidenced by these images of the new CLA 45 shooting brake.

      We’ve already seen the sedan version of the AMG CLA 45 EV on multiple occasions, along with non-AMG wagon variants of the combustion CLA. However, this marks our first sighting of the high-performance EV featuring the elongated roof design.

      All of these vehicles, including some SUV variants that our spy teams have yet to spot, share a versatile platform that accommodates both combustion and electric powertrains. The most powerful models here are the 45 EV versions of each style, which reportedly feature a triple-motor configuration producing at least 500 hp (507 PS / 373 kW).

      The torque-vectoring motors aren’t the only features the wagon shares with its notchback counterpart. We’ve previously seen a deployable spoiler on CLA sedan prototypes, and now Mercedes has extended this feature to the wagon.

      The wing atop the rear hatch doesn’t appear as large as the one on the sedan—rumored to function as an airbrake—nor does it seem to extend as far into the airflow, but it’s clear that it’s an active aerodynamic device.

      Typically, we would expect to see the wing deployed only at highway speeds, so it’s possible that the test driver has activated it manually or is in a track mode where the wing remains raised.

      Other indicators that this is the AMG version of the CLA wagon include the monobloc brake calipers visible behind the forged alloy wheels in front. Additionally, the blanked grille and absence of tailpipes confirm its identity as an EV, though we anticipate that AMG will also offer combustion versions of the CLA.

      What engine will power those internal combustion engine models, however, remains to be determined. A recent report suggested that AMG was moving away from the less popular four-cylinder hybrid engine used in the C63 and indicated that the entire M139 2.0 engine family, including non-plug-in hybrid versions, might be phased out. This could imply that the next ICE CLA 45 will feature an updated version of the 1.5-liter hybrid engine set to appear in non-AMG CLAs.