| First Drive | London and Goodwood, England | Mercedes-Benz CLS |
Key Facts
Model tested: Mercedes-Benz CLS 220 BlueTec
Pricing: from £46,500
Engine: 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission: rear-wheel drive, seven-speed automatic
Body style: four-door coupé
Rivals: Audi A7 Sportback, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, Jaguar XF
CO2 emissions: 129g/km
Combined economy: 64mpg
Top speed: 243mph
0-62mph: 8.2 seconds
Power: 170hp at 3,400- to 4,000rpm
Torque: 350Nm at 1,400- to 3,400rpm
In the Metal: 
How do you improve on perfection? You can't apparently. Well, perhaps calling the exterior styling of the Mercedes-Benz CLS 'perfect' is stretching the hyperbole a bit but there's no denying that it is, in the words of a certain cinematic Italian villain, a "pretty car". So, Mercedes has (and it candidly admits this) left well enough alone. The exterior styling has merely been tweaked to accommodate a new grille (much more like that of the smaller CLA now) some very clever new LED headlights and new bumpers. The rear lamps are also new, but you'd never know.
Inside, all the differentiates the new CLS from the old is the new freestanding central display screen for the infotainment system, which looks like both a tablet and a touchscreen, but is actually neither. Instead, you control it with the usual Comand rotary thingy between the seats, which is now backed up by extra 'shortcut' buttons. It's a very, very slick system, probably the better of either Audi's MMI or BMWs iDrive these days.
The seats have been updated slightly and are exceptionally comfortable, although there is an option that allows the side bolsters to tighten or loosen depending on the cornering speed. It's a clever gimmick, but it soon becomes tiresome and distracting. Leave it switched off. Space in the back is, as ever, surprisingly good. Headroom is a little limited, true, but there's comfort to be found there for all but the tallest. The boot remains a useful 470 litres in volume, but you can make it more practical by plumping for the even prettier (to these eyes) Shooting Brake estate version.
Driving it:
Mercedes still needs to work on the refinement of its four-cylinder diesel engines. Although our time in the car was sadly limited, it was enough to discover that 170hp and 350Nm is quite adequate even in a car as supposedly grand as the CLS. Sure, the 585hp AMG version would leave it reeling at the roadside, but for everyday driving, it's relaxed and capable. But it is noisy, admittedly slightly less so than the more powerful CLS 250 CDI model, but there is a noticeable diesel-y growl when you accelerate and that just seems out of place in an otherwise refined long-distance cruiser.
The CLS 220, as it's the base model, also misses out on the new nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, which means its CO
2 levels are higher than you'd think. For instance, the 3.0-litre V6 CLS 350 CDI diesel has 258hp and 620Nm of torque, but thanks in part to the nine-speeder, emits just 142g/km. If you're planning a CLS 220 CDI purchase, perhaps wait a year until it gets the new transmission.
The rest of the car is almost exactly as the CLS has always been. It's a relaxed and relaxing thing to drive, riding smoothly (unless you really ramp up the inch count on the wheels) and steering with a really lovely deft precision (Mercedes still makes better steering than BMW, trust me). Compared to its chief rival, the Audi A7, it's vastly sweeter and more communicative to drive.
Alternatives:
Audi A7 Sportback: the A7 really is pretty much as pretty as the CLS, but it's nowhere near as good to drive.
BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé: smaller than the CLS but matches it for driver appeal and has a better diesel engine option.
Jaguar XF: actually a conventional saloon, but the Jag's slinky shape keeps it in the hunt relative to the CLS and it's still fab to drive.
Worth Noting
Those clever LED headlights really are quite cool. I know we've seen intelligent lights that can keep full beam going while blanking out portions of the light spread to avoid dazzling other drivers before, but the great thing about the Mercedes system is the speed with which it reacts. The stereoscopic camera mounted in the windscreen takes and analyses a new image of the road ahead every 10 milliseconds so you're never more than a heartbeat away from the lights reacting. That should stop any angry flashes coming your way from oncoming drivers. Mercedes showed us the complete inner workings of those new LED headlamps, complete with reflectors, electronics and little motors to swivel the cornering lights back and forth. The replacement costs for busting one open simply doesn't bear thinking about. The new 360-degree 'birds eye' parking camera is the best we've yet seen too.
Summary
The cheapest Mercedes CLS is still hardly a cheap experience, and looks every bit as good as its more expensive brothers. Still, it would be nice to get the nine-speed gearbox to drop those emissions and fuel consumption ratings even further.
