The second-generation Mercedes CLS went on sale earlier this year and now Mercedes is in position to popularize the niche segment once again with the ‘Shooting Brake’ body style that we previewed in the concept version in 2010 at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.

Today, the very first spy photos of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake have made their way onto the web. The photographs were taken in Southern Germany on a test run and covered only in the rear, allowing us a relatively unobstructed view of what the new CLS Shooting Brake will look like.

We expect the engines to be the same as in the Mercedes-Benz CLS coupe. The concept debuted with the 3.5-liter V6 unit with an output of 306 PS (225 kW / 302 hp) and 370 Nm (273 ft-lb) of torque.

As always, we will keep you up to date as new photos and information emerge. Photos via MotorAuthority.

The CLS Shooting Brake will go into serial production: As of 2012, the sporty four-door Coupé with sloping tail end based on the CLS will roll-off the assembly line in the Mercedes-Benz Plant Sindelfingen.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board Daimler AG and H ead of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “In 2004, Mercedes-Benz established a new vehicle segment with the four-door Coupé CLS and created a design icon. 170,000 customers around the globe show how enthusiastic this car has been received by the market. The decision to build the CLS Shooting Brake underscores the leading role of Mercedes-Benz in regards of innovative passenger car concepts and design – and that is exactly what the customers expect from us.”

Sindelfingen, as largest production location of Mercedes-Benz globally, will add another model to its manufacturing portfolio. Currently, the plant is building the C-Class Sedan, the E-Class Sedan and Estate, the S-Class and the coupés CLS and CL as well as the Maybach models and Mercedes-Benz Guard vehicles. Recently, the plant started to produce the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and a small series of the B-Class powered by a fuel cell. As of 2014, the Mercedes-Benz SL will also be manufactured in Sindelfingen. The decision for the CLS Shooting Brake also reflects the flexibility of the plant: The new model will be build on the same production line as the CLS and the E-Class Sedan.

Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Production and Procurement Mercedes-Benz Cars & Mercedes-Benz Vans: “This new model with its high emotional appeal is another highlight for the Sindelfingen plant. The location decision is an evidence for the significance of the plant as competence centre for the luxury class. The CLS Shooting Brake will contribute to a sustainable capacity utilization in this core location of our production network.”

The fresh and exciting interpretation of the emotionally-appealing Coupé-based design had its premiere as a show car at Auto China in April 2010. Now, this insight by Mercedes designers into the possible future development of the Coupé concept will become reality. In 2012, the CLS Shooting Brake will be launched to the market.

Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The CLS still makes waves with its fascinating design and wows customers for our brand. With the new generation of the CLS we expand our pioneering role in this segment. We aim to extend this success story with the CLS Shooting Brake and complement our product portfolio with another appealing model. This car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes Coupés, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further. At the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz.”

The proportions are clearly those of a coupé: the long bonnet, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, and dynamic roof sloping back towards the rear. It is only when taking a second look that it becomes clear that the Shooting Brake actually has four doors and a large rear lid. The model features some astonishing proportions which at the same time are clearly reminiscent of another design icon – the CLS.

It’s all in a name: the origins of the name “Shooting Brake”

Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to “break” in wild horses and also to restrict (or “brake”) their urge to move, so that they could be put to use as work horses. Since the carts could easily be broken as part of this process, people tended not to use ones which they may have urgently needed for other purposes. Where necessary, “Brakes” were often fitted out with variable bodies, which were only really used to carry along anything that may have been necessary for the hunt, for example. Any such vehicle which was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or Shooting Break. In the 1960s and 1970s motorised Shooting Breaks were popular in Great Britain – exclusive cross-over vehicles, which combined the luxuriousness of a coupé with extended space on offer and additional variability.

We’ve brought you numerous spy photos of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS over the past months, and now, new 2012 CLS engine specifications have emerged.  If the rumors are to be believed, the second generation CLS is expected to be available in four engine variants – two petrol engines and two diesel. With the exception of the AMG version, all will feature the stop/start technology to improve fuel consumption.

For the CLS petrol engines, the two models said to be coming are the CLS350 CGI and the CLS550 CGI.  The first will feature the new direct-injection 3.5 liter V6 engine with an output of 306 PS (301 bhp / 225 kW) and 368 Nm (272 lb-ft) of torque, while the 550 CGI will feature a new 4.6 liter twin-turbocharged V8 that delivers 435 PS (429 bhp / 320 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. The CLS 550 CGI is expected to be offered with an all-wheel drive option as well.  As for the CLS Diesel options, look for a 350 CDI with a 3.0 liter V6 producing 185 kW (252 PS) as well as a 250 CDI with a four-cylinder diesel engine producing 150 kW (204 PS).

And while we’re on the subject of the CLS, there’s significant speculation that the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake (which made its premiere at Auto China 2010 as a concept) will enter series production for the 2011 model year, meaning those in the market for a larger estate model could soon have another alternative. We’ll keep you posted as new details of the 2012 Mercedes CLS are revealed; in the meantime, you can check out photos of the 2012 CLS in the gallery below.