At the 74th Geneva Motor Show in 2004, Mercedes-Benz brought its new CAR series, the CLS Class, which has the elegant dolphin lines of a GT sports car, frameless doors and low-rise shapes, while also having the same practicality as a four-door sedan. This innovative design was not only named the four-door Coupe, but also became the design inspiration for many new cars of luxury brands. Today, 18 years later, the third generation of Mercedes-Benz (imported) - Mercedes-Benz CLS has been on the market for a long time, but the accumulation of years seems to make it timeless.
The third generation of CLS was officially unveiled in 2017, and at the beginning, various doubts and criticisms poured in, perhaps the elegant and linear design of the first two generations of models was preconceived, from the inverted grille, the triangular headlight group, to the slightly bland side profile, many people expressed "some disappointment" with the design of the new car. But now it seems that we have to admire the idea of Mercedes-Benz designers ahead of time, similar styles not only continue to other Mercedes-Benz models, but after four years it still looks like a "tide" in the circle.
The new style of night star grille is an important symbol to distinguish the old and new models, the star emblem design is shining; Mercedes-Benz's proud geometric multi-beam LED headlights are not absent in the top model, other models need 17,000 yuan to select, L-style day running lights are only 350 4MATIC models exclusive.
Lines are not enough, movement to make up. The addition of more AMG trims and blackened elements significantly increases the aggressiveness of the vehicle, and the dynamic downward roof curve is still stretched, which can be remembered by just one silhouette. In terms of size, the model has a length, width and height of 4996/1896/1438mm, and a wheelbase of 2939mm.
The inverted trapezoidal taillight group is also mixed, the upturned ducktail and the chrome edge exhaust are some small details, pressing the Mercedes-Benz LOGO can open the trunk, but also in the visual effect to maintain the integrity of the tail.
Interior design needless to say, Mercedes-Benz's classic screen design is not tired, excellent workmanship and a variety of color collocation is still the best interpretation of Mercedes-Benz's avant-garde aesthetics. After nightfall, the 64-color mood light can bring you a top level of luxury, from sunset yellow to nightclub powder, personalized package to your satisfaction.
Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheels are equipped with capacitive sensing technology that can be operated with a light swipe of the fingertip button, but the large area of black paint can easily become your "fingerprint collector". Dual 12.3-inch large screens with MBUX system bring a benchmark experience, a variety of theme mode switching and a wealth of customizations to achieve a high degree of integration of functions.
You can see the current energy consumption and engine status of your vehicle in the function bar, massage functions and refreshment programs that will allow you to feel more comfortable than expected, and of course, this is the capital when you show off to your friends.
CLS's seats feel stiff, the interior padding emphasizes the support of the body, the wing size is not small, and it has a self-tightening function, and the side support is excellent. The sound effect of The Sound of Berlin in Unit 13 is excellent, and the tolerance for the music itself is very strong, whether it is elegant classical music, or contemporary pop music, electronic music, it has a clear level of expression, and the atmosphere is very strong.
The test drive type is CLS 350 4MATIC, the power system adopts a combination of 2.0T engine + 48V light mix system, the maximum power of the system is 299 horsepower, the maximum torque is 400 Nm, the transmission system matches the 9-speed manual transmission and the four-wheel drive system of the multi-piece clutch structure, and the official acceleration time of 0-100km/h is 6.2 seconds.
The sneakback design, blackened ducktail and AMG rims gave the CLS a sporty feel, but after three days of in-depth experience, I was impressed by the comfort of the car. The adjustment skills of the century-old factory are presented one by one in the details, and the driving posture shows a sense of calmness, but also brings a strong luxurious atmosphere.
When driving on a daily basis, clash defaults to comfort mode, which is also my favorite driving mode when traveling around the city. The floor-type accelerator pedal fits the sole of the foot, the linear and smooth power feedback is slowly crossed on the tiptoe, whether it is the daily follow-up car of stop-and-go, or the overtaking action after the deep oil, the right power release is highly coordinated with the brain expectations, CLS is fully able to understand the driver's "careful thinking".
Mercedes Benz (imported) - Mercedes-Benz CLS
The coordination of the transmission system is also tacit understanding, in the 80km/h speed limit of the Beijing Ring Road, the gearbox is more willing to upgrade gears as soon as possible, and when the speed limit is reached, it is basically in 7 or even 8 gears, with the 48V light mixing system, and the synergy achieves the effect of economic fuel saving. However, in the rapid acceleration, this set of 9AT gearbox seems to be less willing to disturb the passengers in the car, the downshift response is almost only relatively fast at Kick Down, of course, the momentary power explosion can also make you feel that this nearly 300 horsepower equipment can also be so strong.
Chassis performance is Mercedes-Benz's consistent high standard, driving tension is measured, to ensure riding comfort while strengthening the suspension rear section damping, soft with rigid settings also allow fast cornering can still be handy. Don't be fooled by the wheels of AMG, the PRIMACY 3 ST Haoyue tires are purely silent and comfortable, with a heavy chassis and excellent NVH tuning of the vehicle, easily bringing you an isolated and quiet experience, enjoying the aural feast brought by the sound of Berlin.
Do not expect the steering wheel of this car can have BMW-like precise control feedback, delicate and comfortable tuning style is more suitable for this CLS, the difference between the sport mode and the sport enhancement mode is not obvious, the two are more cheerful than the comfort mode, in the power output logic is more cheerful, each engine upshift range will also be biased towards high rotation, if necessary, will also test the red line area, but there will still be no too aggressive performance, easy driving is the first meaning.
epilogue
Mercedes-Benz (imported) - Mercedes-Benz CLS inherits its unique market positioning, although there is no obvious shortcoming, but it is also destined to be a niche luxury car series that will not be too much attention. If you take into account its price (manufacturer guidance price of 783,200 yuan), in the current luxury car consumer market, it is difficult not to let the elites switch to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class with greater space, equally excellent configuration and cheap price of 200,000 yuan, and can get more identity and status symbols. If it were you, what choice would you make?