THE car that helped start the four-door ‘coupe’ niche is back with a second generation that its maker, Mercedes-Benz, claims skips ahead of rivals appearing on the scene since its trendsetter emerged in 2004.
The new CLS-class, combining four-door, four-seat practicality with a sporty, coupe-like silhouette, gets an all-new platform borrowed from the latest E-class, along with stylish new lines.
As well, a new four-engine powertrain line-up not only makes the CLS more powerful across the range but more fuel efficient, slicing up to 31 per cent from the fuel bills at the pump.
CLS-class
Released: June 2005
Ended: June 2011
Family Tree: CLS-classTHE first-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS broke the mould in 2004 – the same year Maserati’s conceptually similar Quattroporte appeared – when it co-created a niche most pundits did not think there was room for – a four-door ‘coupe’. , , Effectively a 2+2 luxury sportscar with a sleek lowered roof but the added convenience of back doors, the first CLS found more than 150,000 buyers around the world and created a flock of imitators., , Swathed in luxury trim, sitting on a buffed suspension and propelled by a selection of willing engines, the inaugural CLS range was topped by AMG’s throaty 6.2-litre V8.
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