Trunk comparison: Fiat Panda vs Mercedes Benz CLA Shooting Brake
Key Differences
The Mercedes‑Benz CLA Shooting Brake offers about +26.4 in (≈60%) more trunk length with the seats folded down than the Fiat Panda. With the front seats upright, the difference is even greater: the CLA has approximately +20.5 in (≈96%) more cargo length.
The height of the trunk opening, however, is about +6.7 in (≈24%) higher on the Fiat Panda than on the CLA, and the width of the trunk opening is around +5.1 in (≈15%) larger on the Panda. Additionally, the usable floor depth (loading edge → trunk floor) in the CLA is about +1.6 in (≈22%) greater than in the Panda.
Impact on Usability
The significantly greater cargo length of the CLA Shooting Brake (both with folded seats and with the front seats upright) makes it much better suited for long items (e.g., furniture parts, long roof rack loads, long boxes) and for tasks requiring a lot of flat or long cargo space.
Practical: less complicated stowing, more transport volume for longer loads.
The Fiat Panda, on the other hand, scores with the loading opening: the higher and wider trunk opening makes it easier to lift bulky or tall items (e.g., suitcases, boxes, plants) because less bending is required and wider items fit more easily through the opening.
For frequent loading and unloading of cumbersome, bulky individual pieces, the Panda is often more practical.
The greater floor depth in the CLA means slightly more interior height or stacking space immediately behind the loading edge – advantageous when layering luggage or transporting flat but taller loads.
The loading edge of the CLA is slightly higher above the road, and the narrowest interior width is only minimally larger; however, these differences are small (<10%) and have little impact on everyday usability.
Conclusion: For transport tasks involving long or mostly flat loads, the CLA Shooting Brake is the better choice. For frequent loading of bulky, tall, or wide individual items in the city, the Fiat Panda is more practical.