Mercedes will mess with your mind in Paris next month when it debuts a sleek shooting brake (cool British slang for station wagon) it's calling ConceptFASCINATION. And why not? Cadillac made a similar move in Monterey last month when it unveiled a classy estate (another cool British word for station wagon] version the second-gen CTS. The difference is Cadillac plans to actually build its estate, er shooting... ah, you know what we mean. Mercedes, on the other hand, has no intention of building such a car, which is shame because it's pretty cool in a Volvo C30 kinda way. On the bright side, we are all getting a sneak peak of the next generation E-Class coupe, otherwise known as CLK.
The crew from Stuttgart knows a thing or two about penning sexy rooflines. The company debuted CLS in 2004 to much acclaim and was single-handedly responsible for making "four-door coupe" part of every enthusiast's, and auto marketer's, vocabulary. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and several similarly styled models are approaching production, including the VW Passat CC, Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. Just as CLS made you ponder what a sedan could and should look like, ConceptFASCINATION – Mercedes makes it one word, with the second half in caps – design study aims to do the same for wagons.
"This design study continues the long tradition of exciting coupés from Mercedes-Benz in impressive style," says Daimler boss Dr Dieter Zetsche. "With its emotionally appealing lines, ConceptFASCINATION offers a completely new interpretation of the coupé. Its aesthetic, dynamic looks and painstakingly crafted details ensure that this study meets the highest design standards."
Power comes from a new 2.2 liter four-cylinder diesel engine good for 204 HP. The engine makes its production debut this fall in the Euro-market C250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Prime Edition sedan. And no, we don’t know what the deal is with Mercedes and its partially capititalized, overly wordy model names. Installed in the C-Class, the diesel emits 138 g/km – for comparison, the Toyota Prius emits 104 g/km – and returns a respectable 45 mpg.
Fascination is not merely a flight of fancy. Mercedes’ War and Peace-style press release made a point of mentioning the concept’s "technical underpinnings" were drawn from the future E-Class coupe [CLK]. It also notes that Mercedes' design studies tend to influence future styling trends (see also the Passat CC, Porsche Panamera, et al) while encouraging feedback from customers. Sounds like PR talk for "take a look at this cool wagon and tell us what you think of the front end we may put on the next CLK." Feel free to voice your opinions on the new mug below.
Fascination’s front end is decidedly more muscular than the current CLK. There's also more surface transition and design detail. Among the new styling elements is a clean character line running the length of Fascinations hood. Not only does it contrast nicely with the dual trapezoidal “rhomboid” headlamps replacing the older round ones, but it cleverly starts life as a crease in the lower fascia below the massive Mercedes star. And speaking of the star, it is mounted smack in the middle of a single crossbar grille just like the one seen on the recently refreshed SL. Expect the next CLK to maintain this look while the sedan will likely offer buyers the option of a booshie hood ornament. Also new is the 3-place air damn positioned directly below the grille. Like Audi’s R8/A5/A4, slick-looking LED clusters, housed within the headlamps, serve as daytime running lights.
And Fascination wouldn’t be quite as fascinating without some over the top concept car features. The “load compartment”, or trunk, is made of wood with brushed aluminum protective rails. At the push of a button, a smoked glass table rises out of the floor to reveal a humidor. There is also a refrigerated compartment for drinks and champagne flutes. How very equestrian of them.
Images by Mercedes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6YFtMZT364
