We weren't sure about this car when the pictures broke earlier in the week. Now having seen it in person, there is no more doubt. This thing looks so cool you almost forget about its silly name. Really? The Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break Concept? It's not even spelled right.
Stand next to it, however, and you get a much better appreciation for its low stance, big wheel flares and nicely dished wheels. Trust us, no one will ever call this thing a "station wagon."
And the best part? It's a pretty sure bet that this will go into production. That's our kind of concept.
2010 Beijing Auto Show: Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break Concept
cr_driver says:
11:34 AM, 04/23/10
Oh my God
WOW
bimmerjay says:
12:31 PM, 04/23/10
Interesting shooting BRAKE concept. CLS wagon, anyone? I like the sueded leather-topped dash.
blueguydotcom says:
01:17 PM, 04/23/10
Dodge made this already. It was called the Magnum station wagon.
breif says:
01:56 PM, 04/23/10
Wow, OEMs will do anything to avoid calling something a station wagon...
thejohnp says:
03:31 PM, 04/23/10
That is one sweet looking station wagon.
cruiserhead1 says:
03:50 PM, 04/23/10
BREAK is the correct name.
In Europe, wagons are called Break. It is a carryover from the horse and buggy days
throwback says:
03:57 PM, 04/23/10
First the E class wagon, now this. Mercedes has their wagon thing down. If you are a wagon fan (I am) you gotta love the wagon resurgence. To bad it's all happening at the upper end,
veryhrm says:
06:54 PM, 04/23/10
I'm going to echo blueeyedotcom's Dodge magnum comment.
From the side it looks more like a Crosstour.
Between sloping down the roof and sloping forward the liftgate all you're doing is reducing cargo space/utility for the sake of improved styling... This too has a name "hatchback".
Don't want to call it a station wagon, call it a massive hatchback :-)
The only reason you wouldn't call it a "station wagon" is if you think a "station wagon" is a dirty word instead of a body style.
4maticbenz says:
09:10 PM, 04/23/10
That car is gorgeous. And the next CLS is sure to be even more beautiful seeing as it wont be in the form of a wagon like this concept vehicle.
ptcdawg says:
08:27 AM, 04/24/10
It is a station wagon...not that there's anything wrong with that.
gerardr says:
09:13 AM, 04/24/10
Thanks, cruiserhead1.
I logged in to comment that "break" was indeed the correct spelling, based upon my living in Europe for over a year, split between two countries. The locals had all told me that "break" derived from it being the type of vehicle that you would drive for a "break" (a long weekend or more).
If, however, you go to Wikipedia, and go to the Carriage page, you will see that a large carriage, known as a "covered break" is used regularly at Buckingham Palace to haul cermonial guards around. Further down in that article, you learn that a "break" was a body-less carriage frame used for breaking in horses for a carriage-pulling role.
I still prefer the more modern interpretation, the type of vehicle used for a long weekend, but it was nice to be pushed into looking up some history.
civic_si says:
04:01 AM, 04/25/10
Wagons are officially cool again.
angry_mushroom says:
11:49 PM, 04/25/10
This has to be the most beautiful station wagon I've ever seen. I'll go out on a limb here and say it is one of the nicer looking cars out there period.