Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that its Concept Shooting Break, unveiled at the Auto China Show earlier this year, will go into production.

The luxury manufacturer said November 8 that the CLS Shooting Brake, a sporty four-door model with distinctive sloping tail, will be available in 2012.

It will be the latest in the CLS series, which is heralded by Mercedes-Benz as a pioneering model that preceded similar ideas from other manufacturers such as the Jaguar XJ and VW Passat CC.

When it was launched at Auto China in April, the Concept Shooting Break became the first car in Mercedes-Benz history to use 100 percent LED lighting, which the automaker said gave it an “unmistakable appearance.”

The Concept featured a 3.5 liter V6 engine producing 220 kW (306 hp) of power, using a new generation of engine which reportedly offers 22-24 percent lower fuel consumption than its predecessors.

Mercedes-Benz has edited the name of the model slightly, perhaps following comments surrounding the Concept’s introduction, when it was billed as “Shooting Break” rather than “Shooting Brake”.

Critics will no doubt be delighted that the automaker has opted for the “correct” spelling, which references a style of vehicle with a squared-off rear for easy access to guns or other sports equipment.

Source: AFPrelxanews