It should not be long before Mercedes-Benz whisks the covers off the new addition to its CLS range, the more practical Shooting Brake variant, but for now, das Germans are wrapping up the test phase with some lightly camouflaged prototypes.

The car that hopes to formulate an estate sub-segment in the premium four-door coupe category is based on Mercedes-Benz’s 2010 Shooting Break concept.

While the sloping rear end affords the CLS Shooting Brake a sleek profile, it also means that the added space will not even come close to rivaling the likes of Stuttgart’s own E-Class Estate.

Instead, the new model will simply offer a more height for your baggage and improved practicality over the sedan version.

The Shooting Brake’s engine range will mirror its notchback sibling and include several diesel and gasoline options starting from a 2.2-liter turbo diesel with 204HP (for Europe) and culminating to the 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 with up to 557-horsepower and 800 Nm of torque for the flagship CLS 63 AMG.

The swoopy estate model will arrive in showrooms towards the end of the year or in early 2013.

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