Would you like to drive the new Mercedes CLS?
Mercedes has rolled out its new generation CLS and it's a study in elegance.
The body is an expression of what Mercedes calls its sensual purity design idiom, which once gave rise to a new segment – a blend of Coupe and Sedan. The car is an instant eye-catcher with its newly designed front section, the rear with sharp edges and lines all but eliminated
It was a paradox; a coupe with four doors. The definition of Coupe is, after all, a carriage built for two. The CLS changed everything, and now it’s going into its third generation.
Here's our test drive report for the All-Wheel drive version, the CLS 450 4MATIC.
Under the hood
A minimum of 270 kW or 367 horsepower pulls this cutting edge carriage from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. This model gets an extra nudge from a 16 kW electric motor, the EQ Boost, which recuperates energy for the battery.
As with all CLS variants, the power is put to the road through a 9G Tronic automatic transmission.
Design and exterior
The design is typically Mercedes - there is a single chrome slack grill which broadens towards the base, while the front section appears to slant forward.
On request, the CLS can be fitted with multi beam LED headlights with adaptive high beams. At 40km/h and faster, they put out the maximum intensity permitted by law.
The matrix LED system targets the high beam to specific areas so it won’t blind oncoming traffic.
The arching roof line ends in a spoiler on the trunk lid, with the tail lights fitted seamlessly into the body.When it comes to luxury the CLS isn’t quite as opulent as the S-Class.
Interior
The CLS Coupe’s sumptuous interior continues the flowing contours of the exterior. A choice of high quality materials reinforces the upscale feel.
On the outside the CLS isn’t as brawny, and on the inside its nice and airy – partly thanks to air vents borrowed from the S-Class.
Turning up the heat makes the vents glow red, turning it down they glow blue. It’s a fun detail, just like the massage seats and the steering wheel form the S-Class.
The ambient lighting system’s choice of 64 colours invokes something of the modern lounge atmosphere, with the air jets meant to recall jet engines.
In the new CLS, the rear seat now accommodates not just two but three passengers, so a total of 5 people can go along.
Aside from the red and blue glowing air vents, the digital displays have also been spiffed up here and there. Now they appear in different colours depending on the drive mode.
The low profile hasn’t demanded too many sacrifices on the practicality front. The rear seat can be folded down in three sections.
Conclusion
The predator front and rear make the CLS a completely new car. It has something of the E-Class’ style and the S-Class’ elegance, as it was intended to.
Its closest competitors are the Audi A7 and the Porsche Panamera.