New Mercedes CLS on sale now

Prices for the new Mercedes CLS have been announced, following the car’s unveiling at this year’s LA Motor Show. The car is on sale now, with deliveries due to start in April 2018.

Mercedes CLS prices

Prices for the new Mercedes CLS start at £57,510 for the diesel-powered CLS 350d 4MATIC AMG line – all CLS models come with 4MATIC four-wheel drive and in AMG Line trim. Step up to the CLS 400d and you’ll pay £60,410, while the only petrol-powered option in the standard range is the CLS 450, which starts at £57,610.

A performance-orientated Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 model goes on sale in May, with its price and exact specification to be released nearer launch. We already know it’ll use a powerful 429bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine and get from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds. It’s expected to cost around £63,000.

Specification

Unlike previous versions, the latest Mercedes CLS will only be made available in the UK in AMG Line trim only, at least at launch. This includes a sporty exterior treatment, with AMG-style front and rear bumpers with a diffuser flanked by twin exhaust pipes. The front grille incorporates chrome 'diamond' elements in a distinctive radial pattern, and the 19-inch alloy wheels are finished in a special 'Tremolite Grey' high-sheen finish.

Leather upholstery will be standard, as will a 12.3-inch infotainment screen with Mercedes' Audio 20 navigation system, along with DAB radio and a reversing camera. A matching 12.3-inch screen forms the driver's instrument cluster, creating a near-seamless display across the right hand side of the dashboard.

You can add a Premium Plus package for an extra £3,895, which includes a seat memory package, Burmester hi-fi surround sound system, upgraded COMAND Online infotainment system and an electric sliding sunroof.

Another £2,495 adds the Comfort pack, which adds a sophisticated air suspension system as well as Nappa leather on the seats. It also includes an Energising Comfort Control system with six programmes to combine your favourite settings for the included Airbalance fragrance control system with your preferred COMAND Online modes; you'll be able to set the system to release a particular aroma when you're listening to Classic FM, for example.

A Driving Assistance plus package is also offered for £1,695, combining active cruise control, active steering, a speed limiter, lane-keeping assistance and blind-spot monitoring, to reduce the driver's workload. It also introduces a system that can nudge front-seat occupants to one side in readiness for a side impact.

Design

The latest in a line of rakish four-door coupes that began with the arrival of the original car in 2003, the CLS offers sleek coupe styling combined with luxury saloon space and comfort. The new car gets a bold look, with a low roof and a focus on more curvaceous styling, as well as new front and rear light signatures, plus a striking take on the current generation of wide Mercedes grille. It’s likely that many of its signature design features will appear on other Mercedes cars in the near future.

As a result, the 2018 CLS seems more neatly integrated into the range than its predecessor, slotting in above the E-Class Coupe to offer a stylish four-door rival to the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and Audi A7, while the Mercedes E-Class saloon continues to offer a more traditional package that rivals the Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series.

Interior

The strong family resemblance continues inside, where Mercedes hasn't strayed far from the well liked look of its Mercedes S-Class and E-Class models. There are plenty of new touches, though, such as a swooping dashboard finished in gloss or open-pore wood, advanced ambient lighting (with no fewer than 64 selectable colours), jet-like air vents and a focus on high-tech infotainment.

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Buyers can to choose what Mercedes calls a ‘widescreen cockpit’, which comprises two 12.3-inch displays under one sheet of glass in easy sight of the driver. These screens can be set up as you see fit, with multiple styles and layout options for the various functions, including sat-nav directions and traditional readouts.

Mercedes has included bespoke seats for the CLS, with the front and outer rear seats matching in terms of bolstering and style, but there's still seating for five (the first time in a CLS). The rear seats fold with a 40-20-40 split, offering a useful boost in space for the 520-litre boot.

Another new feature is Mercedes’ Energizing Comfort Control system. This brings fragranced air-conditioning, hi-fi, ambient lighting and seat heating/massaging functions under six umbrella programmes – Freshness, Warmth, Vitality, Joy, Comfort and Training – allowing you to choose a mood, rather than configure individual systems. It's optional as part of the Comfort package.

Engines and suspension

The new CLS is available with a choice of three engines from launch: two diesels and one petrol. Both diesel options, the CLS 350d and CLS 400d, feature a 2.9-litre six-cylinder engine that returns around 50mpg on average; the 350d produces 282bhp and manages 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, while the 400d has 335bhp and reaches 62mph in five seconds dead. CO2 emissions for both are 148g/km. All come with four-wheel drive as standard.

The CLS 53 model, which goes on sale in May, comes with a 429bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine and a nine-speed automatic gearbox that propels the car from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds. Despite the performance on offer, Mercedes claims 32.5mpg official fuel economy and 200g/km CO2 emissions for the 53.

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Until the CLS 53 arrives, the most powerful of the three engines on offer is the 362bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol in the CLS 450. It features a hi-tech 48-volt electrical system that provides extra power when accelerating and allows the engine to switch off when only low power is required, resulting in improved economy. Mercedes claims that this engine “delivers the performance of an eight-cylinder engine with significantly lower consumption”, with economy of 37mpg.

Mercedes offers three suspension options with the CLS: a conventional setup, a configuration with adjustable dampers, and full air suspension.

Safety

The new Mercedes CLS benefits from a comprehensive list of driving-assistance systems, many of which have filtered down from the top-of-the-range S-Class saloon.

Standard systems include (but aren’t limited to) autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and speed-limit assistance. There’s even a system called PRE-SAFE Sound, which “prepares human hearing for the anticipated accident noise when there's a risk of a collision”.

The optional Driving Assistance Plus Package, which costs around £1,700, adds almost too many systems to list, including active cruise control, steering assistance, braking assistance and blind-spot monitoring, with many systems improved and tweaked. There’s also a system called PRE-SAFE Impulse Side, which prepares front passengers for side impact by “giving them a sideways impulse”, which Mercedes claims reduces the risk of injury.