After multiple teasers and the obligatory “online leak”, the new Mercedes-Benz CLS has finally been officially revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Stuttgart-based automaker says this third-generation CLS is the first to feature its “new design idiom”, which is characterised by “clear contours and reduced lines”. But, thanks to its general shape, it clearly also stays true to the two generations that came before it.
As with the E-Class on which it is based, the new CLS features plenty of technology handed down from the flagship S-Class, particularly when it comes to driving assistance systems.
A new range of engines, comprising in-line six-cylinder and in-line four-cylinder units in diesel and petrol flavours, will be offered in the sleek four-door sedan. Initially, just a trio of 3,0-litre six-cylinder mills will be offered, with each sending their oomph to all four wheels.
At launch, the line-up will thus kick off with the CLS 350d 4Matic, which possesses 210 kW and 600 N.m and is capable of a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 5,7 seconds. The CLS 400d 4Matic, meanwhile, ups peak outputs to 250 kW and 700 N.m, which in turn cuts the claimed sprint time to 5,0 seconds.
Lastly, the petrol-powered, electrified (with an integrated starter/generator and a 48-volt onboard electrical system) CLS 450 4Matic churns out 270 kW and 500 N.m, with an additional 16 kW and 250 N.m available via the mild hybrid system for “short periods”. This derivative sees off the obligatory sprint to three figures in a claimed 4,8 seconds.
Inside, you’ll find illuminated air vents and an optional high-resolution widescreen cockpit display, featuring two 12,3-inch screens arranged beneath a shared, continuous glass cover. Mercedes says the seats were designed exclusively for the CLS, with the outer perches in the rear (the CLS is now a five-seater, thanks to the addition of a small centre seat in the rear) bearing the same appearance as those in the front. Luggage capacity is a claimed 520 litres.
The new CLS features a four-link front and a five-link rear suspension setup. Steel “comfort” suspension ships standard, while continuously adjustable damping is optional, as is air suspension.
As we’ve come to expect from Mercedes-Benz, a feature-packed Edition 1 model (which you see pictured in the gallery above) will be available for around one year after the market launch.
