Mercedes-Benz CLS pre-production drive

We drive the next generation of Mercedes’ swish four-door coupe

Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to reveal the third generation of its well-liked four-door coupe, the CLS, and to prepare for its reveal at the LA motor show next month, we’ve had an early passenger ride in a prototype model.

So importantly does Mercedes rate UK car buyers, it’s carried out a series of final testing over here; it was during the North Yorkshire leg of its fine-tuning drives that we jumped into the passenger seat of a camouflaged car.

Set to go on sale in 2018, the new CLS once again sits in between the E-Class and S-Class. The underpinnings are taken from the E-Class but a lot of the onboard tech, such as the twin-screen displays, are pure S-Class. The engineers believe this helps give the car a lift in status. They also tell us it’s even sportier on the outside, but so extensive was the disguise, we’ll have to take their word for it…

Under the bonnet will be a range of inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines: either 281bhp or 335bhp diesel, while the petrol is a 362bhp unit with a mild hybrid electric drive system called EQ. More engines will follow later – entry-level four-cylinder units, and a hot 429bhp AMG version.

Our test was the petrol-electric version, and immediately apparent were the various different driving modes. It has a high-tech 48V electric motor, which switches off the petrol engine when it’s not needed, keeping things serene and quiet. It kicks in more when Sport and Sport+ are selected, with a more focused engine note and stiffer ride.

Despite this, the test car, which was running on 20in alloy wheels and optional air suspension, seemed to cruise well, with big bumps being dealt with quickly and effectively. The gritty North Yorkshire roads did not defeat it.

That’s good news for passengers – particularly as there’s now four of them: for the first time, the CLS is getting a three-seat rear, with the middle seat being perfect for a child (albeit not an adult). There’s more interior theater to impress them, not least a set of turbine air vents with colour-changing LEDs.

What’s likely to really wow those onboard will be the optional Widescreen Cockpit dash layout, though. This S-Class-grade system packs in a welter of features, for next-level configurability. It gives the new CLS a really cutting-edge feel.

The new CLS will even give you energy you: an ‘energising comfort’ control collectively tweaks the aircon, audio, lighting and massage seats to give a series of distinct ‘feels’. A gimmick, maybe, but an impressive one. The rest of it, from the passenger seat at least, seems equally impressive. Here’s to finally driving it next year to say for sure.=

Rob Adams is a writer for AutoCar.