2005 Mercedes Review

Specifications

What Happens When “What If” Meets “Why Not”

The Mercedes-Benz Vision CLS was a concept car that from day one was destined to be a production car. The idea behind it was to create a four door coupe, a car that features all the desirable styling of a sleek two-door while still retaining the practicality and comfort of a regular four door sedan. Simply said, it was an idea that was begging to become a reality.

Never has a Benz been so eagerly wanted by the public; it seemingly quenches the thirst for a new automotive trend. From its concept car phase, which was first seen in September of 2003 at the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany, it has taken a mere six months to turn it into a production car. The Benz CLS-Class was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, and is slated to arrive in showrooms autumn 2004.

Aside from the most minor changes, the production version of the CLS-Class differs only slightly from the concept car. Some may consider the L-shaped xenon headlamps with adaptive beams for improved visibility slightly odd looking, but to me they seem to enhance the cars appearance. The Benz grille, with its massive center-mounted three-pointed star, melds the brands traditional coupe and sedan styling language.

Overall the shape of the concept has been retained, a three-box design smoothed over from the E-Class that it is based off of. Sharp lines, such as where the trunk meets the rear C-pillars, are now flowing, before the shape tapers off towards the tail end of the car. It could be seen as an E-Class with a special “coach builder” body. To help provide easy access to the cars interior, the rear doors have been enlarged. Entry and exit shouldnt be a chore for those who ride in back, despite the sloping roofline.

As the CLS-Class is both a coupe and a luxury sedan thats positioned higher than the E-Class, its only obvious that it will be equipped and finished to the best of Benzs capabilities. The cars rear seats reportedly provide ample room for shoulders, hips and heads. Up front, driver and passenger are treated like royalty with leather-trimmed bucket seats that are ventilated, heated and fully adjustable. Both steering wheel and shift knob are wrapped in glove-soft leather, while the dashboard and console take the same shape and woodgrain patterning as the concept car. Although the original vanilla-crème colored leather seats with the diamond pattern are not available, buyers will be able select from three different types of leather with matching wood to suit their tastes.

To go along with these luxurious appointments is a long line of comfort and safety features. A multi-function steering wheel with controls for the cars audio system are standard, while a COMMAND system that includes navigation, hands-free telephone and audio is optional, as is the Keyless-Go system. The Mercedes-Benz Pre-Safe safety feature, which constantly analyzes the driving situation and is able to decide the best way to protect the cars passengers with the adaptive seat and dual-stage airbags, will be available soon after the vehicle becomes available for an extra cost. SBC brake control as well as ABC stability control are both standard to the CLS. Adaptive front airbags, side airbags, and window bags are standard, as are seatbelt pretensioners on all seats.

There will be two powerful engines offered on the CLS, a V6 and a V8. The entry level (if you could call it that) CLS 350 features the all-new 3.5 liter V6 that just recently made its debut in the second generation SLK. The newly developed motor makes an impressive 272 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, thanks to four-valve per cylinder technology, variable manifolds and valve timing. With this engine, the CLS is capable of sprinting to 60 mph in just under seven seconds, not bad for the entry level model. Average fuel consumption with this state of the art powerplant is 23 mpg.

The upper-class CLS 500 makes use of a 5.0 liter 306 horsepower motor as found in all 500 models. With 339 lb-ft of available torque, this engine is said to be both tractable, and smooth. The additional power shaves nearly one second off the time needed to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. Both cars feature automatic transmissions and are electronically limited at 155 mph.

As the CLS is based off of the most recent E-Class, it retains the same chassis and suspension layout. The CLS 350 uses the standard E-Class suspension, and rides on 17-inch wheels and 245/45 R17 tires, while the CLS 500 makes use of pneumatics for a more comfortable and controlled ride and sports the added benefit of 18-inch alloy rims and 245/40 R18 performance tires.

One final note about the CLS, despite its rakish good looks and coupe-like genetics, it still features a large cargo capacity. Though it may not appear to hold much, the trunk actually has a volume of 17.8 cubic feet! Thats 5 more than the current S-Class!

For the time being Mercedes-Benz hasnt released any pricing data for the CLS, however, as previously mentioned the car is to be plugged into the gap between the E- and S-Class and should therefore give us some indication of an estimated price. Currently the E-Class starts at $48,075 and the S at $74,250, so if Mercedes splits the difference the CLS should be based at about $60,000. Of course that would be the base price, with top trim levels beginning higher.

If Mercedes-Benz manages to bring the CLS to market anywhere near this price it will have a bona fide success on its hands. The new four-door coupe seems to strike a chord with just about everyone who sees it, setting a styling trend that bodes well for the luxury marques future models.