Third-generation spin-off of E-Class saloon sports a range of mild hybrid engines, but Thais need to be content with conventional stuff.
The Mercedes-Benz CLS is perhaps the first luxury car to successfully break a new niche from an existing mainstream model, namely the E-Class.
And it’s also worth noting that the CLS continues to be the only niche-breaker in its class to come with a sleek three-box shape.
Other potential rivals like the Audi A7 Sportback and BMW 6 Series GT are both hatchbacks with sloping tail gates in the typical fashion of what some other people might refer to as fastbacks.
The third-generation CLS, as driven here for the first time, is taking the honour of being the first Mercedes to bear the brand’s new design language. Whether you’re going to like that shark-like nose is open to debate. As well, the distinctive banana-like waistline – a key design DNA of the outgoing model -- is less pronounced now.
But the CLS certainly looks better in real than in pictures. In fact, the CLS’ design has already inspired the appearance of the latest A-Class, which will be coming to Thailand later this year in saloon rather than hatchback form.
As the CLS continues to be a spin-off from Mercedes’ mainstay executive saloon, the interior is all the familiar especially with that wide digital screen on the dashboard.
Some new details for the brand include air-con vents that can glow in either red or blue when the temperature is adjusted for warm or cool air accordingly.
And for the first time, the rear bench in the CLS can seat three people. But just to maintain that coupe statement the CLS has always been making, the two main rear perches are tailored like the front ones. Effectively, the CLS is still a comfortable car for four, although head room is tight for six-footers.
Boot space is ample in its own right but, for all the obvious reasons, the CLS can’t match the A7 Sportback and 6 Series GT for versatility – if that’s going to really matter to potential buyers of niche-breakers who tend to place emotion over rationality.
Due to launch in Thailand at this month’s Bangkok motor show, the CLS will be coming in four-pot diesel form before locally assembled kits become available by the end of this year.
The CLS300d sees a 245hp 2.0-litre unit mated to a nine-speed automatic to take the fight straight to the 630d GT in the 4.5 to five million baht range; Audi’s latest A7 Sportback has yet to be introduced in Thailand.
Unfortunately, we might not be able to deliver a definite verdict for the CLS yet because all the media test cars in Barcelona were six-cylinder petrol or diesel 3.0-litre units (286hp CLS350, 340hp CLS400d and 367hp CLS450) and the four-pot CLS300 petrol head.
With the exception of the CLS300d that’s coming to Thai shores, all other variants come with the brand’s 48V mild hybrid system.
The switch from a V6 format to an inline configuration has allowed for better packaging of the various ancillaries such as the turbocharger and electric generator.
There’s no doubting the available performance in whichever six-pot CLS, with the petrol head scoring points in refinement and clean-revving properties and the diesel in tractability and fuel economy terms.
Like in its predecessor, the CLS stands out from the E-Class with sportier driving characteristics. It’s like everything has been turned up a notch or two, be it the beefier steering and firmer ride. In fact, this has always been a nice setting in the world of Mercedes cars because the E-Class has always been a touch too light and soft.
Yes, the CLS steers more fluently than in the E-Class yet is still comfortable enough to satisfy buyers who are most likely to appreciate a nice ride rather than sporty handling. After all, people would settle for a CLS probably because of its sleeker profile rather than meatier driving manners.
In short, it’s the style that counts. And with Thais still having a tendency to like cars with a proper booted rear end with four doors, the CLS should continue its successful run in the country. That’s good proof why the CLS – and not today’s E-Class Coupe – will be assembled in Thailand for the first time.
The real newsmaker in the CLS, though, is the availability of the performance-oriented hybrid known as 53 4Matic. What basically sits under the bonnet of the CLS53 is that new inline-six petrol motor but hooked up with twin turbos and 48V mild hybrid.
And apart from the di rigueur functions of recovering and saving energy, there’s an electric compressor to spool the turbos in advance thus eliminating lag and improving low-end response in the process.
This is quite a nicely resolved drivetrain with near-perfect tractability at city speeds and genuine 400hp-plus (a combined 457hp to be precise) performance on the open road. Mercedes claims a 0-100kph time in 4.5sec. Like in other AMG-fettled Mercs, the engine noise and gearshifts can be made more audible in Sport (and furthermore in Sport+) mode.
Adding up to the free-revving nature of the engine is the so-called 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system that can variably apportion drive to either the front or rear wheels. In a nutshell, the CLS53 is all about a fast, clinical driving experience providing optimum levels of lateral grip and straight-line traction. It's certainly new-age and not old-school.
But a reason why the Thai Mercedes office is still keeping away the CLS53 from Thai showrooms is probably due to excise taxation. Mild hybrids do not have some pure-electric driving ability as how full hybrids do (like the Toyota C-HR of most recent times). However, it’s worth noting that either system is all about reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Which is why Thais would probably need to be content with the conventional CLS300d, although its circa-4.5 million baht price is still reasonably competitive against its comparable competition.
