Mercedes CLS. The coupe’s dynamics combined with the sedan’s comfort
The Mercedes CLS is a series of luxury mid-size passenger cars produced by Mercedes-Benz (Germany) since 2004. There are sedan and estate bodies. In 2020, Israeli buyers could purchase the 2017 third generation Mercedes CLS Coupe.
The CLS is a Gran Turismo 4-door coupe. The letters 'CL' in the name mean that it is a luxury coupe without a B-pillar and with powerful engines. The name is presumably an abbreviation of the words ‘Comfort’ and ‘Luxe’. The letter ‘C’ indicates that the vehicle belongs to the C-class.
Built on the basis of the E-class, the CLS was positioned by the manufacturer as a sportier and better equipped version in comparison with the E-class models. Designed specifically for the CLS, the 4-door coupe body technically brought Mercedes-Benz back to the coupe market after the release of the Mercedes W124 E-Class. The German Group said that the CLS-Class was created in order to combine the coupe’s “strong and emotional charm” and the sedan’s ‘comfort and functionality’. The first CLS prototype appeared at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Mercedes-Benz Vision CLS concept car. It was a 4-door coupe with the sedan’s roominess, but with the characteristic design of a two-seater coupe. Following the public success of the concept, the company decided to continue its work and managed to launch a new series of German cars, the CLS-Class, represented by the C219 model, as early as 2004.
The first generation
It was produced from 2004 to 2010, while its restyling took place in 2008. The first Mercedes CLS 500 (C219) was a 4-door coupe based on the W211 E-Class. It was manufactured at the Sindelfingen plant in Germany. The flagship version of the series was the CLS 55 AMG, presented along with the standard modification. In 2008, the car was slightly upgraded. The restyling involved changing the appearance of the radiator grille, installing LED taillights, installing new rear-view mirrors with LED turn signal repeaters, as well as redesigning wheels and exhaust pipes. For 6 years of production, more than 170,000 models of the first generation Mercedes CLS were produced.
The second generation
It was produced from 2010 to 2017, while its restyling took place in 2014. The second CLS (C218) was also a 4-door coupe at first. But as early as 2012, the Mercedes CLS Shooting Break Estate (X218) was released. Based on the W212 E-Class, the second generation borrowed the design and components from the F-800 Style concept car, a luxury sedan with a bold and eye-catching exterior, high-quality trim, new control concepts and driver information, modern safety and comfort systems. The most ‘charged’ version of the second generation CLS, the Mercedes CLS 63 AMG, was equipped with a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 engine producing 525 hp and a torque of 700 Nm.
The CLS-Class was created in order to combine the coupe’s “strong and emotional charm” and the sedan’s “comfort and functionality”.
After the 2014 restyling, the car had a slightly changed exterior, new optional LED optics and many new technological solutions, such as COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST, DISTRONIC PLUS autonomous cruise control, PRE-SAFE preventive safety system, Active Parking Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Traffic Sign Assist, etc.
The third generation
It has been produced from 2017 to the present (as of 2020). The third generation (C257) is only available in a 4-door coupe body. The company decided to cease the production of estates. The new Mercedes CLS was first presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 29, 2017. The new series of prestigious 4-door coupes is assembled on the modular MRA platform and combines many of the technological innovations and solutions offered by the W213 and W222 E-Class cars.
The exterior design of the 2017/2018 Mercedes CLS was borrowed from the company’s coupe models of the end of 2017, incompliance with the design philosophy of Sensual Purity. However, the car is distinguished by its unique, more aggressive design. It features the signature Mercedes AMG GT radiator grille, new wide Matrix LED headlights ensuring visibility at night up to 650 meters, and two-piece taillights. The interior of the car combines many aspects of the E- and S-Class models, including a modern dashboard with a glove compartment and a new steering wheel. The interior elements of the passenger compartment were borrowed from the E-Class Coupe 213 series: two 12.3-inch displays and four aero-turbine-inspired central ventilation deflectors, which are now illuminated. Just like in the previous generations, the backseat can have either two or three seats, with the backrest being able to fold in a ratio of 40:20:40.
The Mercedes AMG CLS 53 hybrid modification will become the most powerful model in the series, as it will be equipped with a power train consisting of a turbocharged 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The total power will be 429 hp. The initial model range of the 2019/2020 Mercedes CLS is represented by petrol and diesel inline-six engines.
