When the CLS first emerged on our market back in 2005 it pretty much established a new automotive niche, the four-door coupé, which is now fiercely contested by such models as the Audi A5 Sportback and Volkswagen Passat CC. Fast forward five years, and the latest iteration of the CLS now heralds another new direction; this time it’s the bold new route being taken with Mercedes’ design language.
The new design sits on a version of the current E-Class floorpan featuring widened front and rear tracks to lend the car a more purposeful stance. There are hints of the SLS AMG supercar about the nose of the new CLS, especially in that upright, oblong grille. It’s a treatment that Mercedes has dubbed a “soft nose”, although “soft” is hardly a word you’d associate with something as in-your-face as this new design, especially when it’s flanked by sweeping headlamps that can be specified with full LED units. The old car’s somewhat pinched rear facia has been drawn out with the adoption of broader brakelamp clusters with a prominent upwards sweep – the apexes of which meet pronounced rear “haunches” that form a focal point of the car’s coupé-esque profile.
Although Mercedes has not yet divulged any measurements, the new CLS is reportedly longer and wider than the model it replaces – dimensions that the company claims will improve access to the rearmost pews and legroom, both of which were oft-criticised aspects of the old car. The clean, angular lines of the facia are clearly influenced by those found in the current E-Class, but are lifted by additional chrome trim highlights and a centrally-mounted analogue clock. According to the preliminary press release, the cabin can be specified in a choice of five colours spanning five trim lines.
Another aspect of the new car that has also been kept quiet until the official Paris reveal is the engine line-up. Reports suggest that the car will play host to Mercedes’ new range of V6 and V8 petrol powerplants. The 3,5-litre six-cylinder unit will feature direct fuel injection, start-stop technology and a 60-degree angle block that should go some way to reducing the harshness associated with the current crop of ‘Benz V6s. A twin-turbo 4,7-litre V8 unit will replace the normally-aspirated 5,4 – this engine will also feature direct fuel injection and start-stop and should develop in the region of 320 kW and 700 N.m of torque whilst consuming up to 22 percent less fuel. On the diesel front, Merc’s 3,0-litre V6 commonrail unit and the twin-turbo 2,1-litre from the E250 CDI are also expected to feature in the new CLS. All of the engines are likely to be mated with the company’s 7-speed automatic transmission.
There is also the possibility that a production version of the Shooting Break concept from this year’s Beijing Show might get the go-ahead towards the end of this year to join the CLS line-up at a later date.
You can watch a preview video of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS here.
