2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400d: First Impressions

The CLS gets sharper, but also more spacious and comfortable. A proper E-Class with attitude, then!

There are those who begin trends, and those who follow them. The world of automobiles is no exception to this dictum. Consider, for instance, the Mercedes-Benz CLS – the first and ‘original’ four-door coupe. Back in 2004, when Mercedes invented this segment, they couldn’t have known that there’ll come a time when swanky four-door coupes will swarm the market. But given that it’s happened, we can safely say that the CLS indeed was a trendsetter, and will always be known for its unique and out-of-the-box design. After 14 years and 357,000 units, the CLS is now ready to begin the third chapter of its life. Sure, it’s not revolutionary, like the original, but it does manage to bring a lot to the table. The first and the most obvious aspect of this new-gen coupe is its styling – a clean design with taut and unmistakable lines. Overall, the new CLS has a more athletic demeanour than its previous iterations. Its sharply raked front-end specifically drew our attention. It seems like a shark prepared to pounce on its prey. 

Un-diesel like 

There’s no doubt that this latest iteration of the CLS springs quite a few surprises, but biggest of all is what’s hidden under the bonnet – a brand-new 3.0-litre, in-line, six-cylinder, diesel engine. It’s available in two trims – 350d and 400d. The test car that we drove is the latter – the performance of which is brisk, thanks to the availability of 335bhp and 700Nm on tap. Even though these figures aren’t stratospheric, they do yield a certain amount of excitement. The acceleration is powerful, to say the least. It’s capable of achieving 100km/h in five seconds and has a top speed of 250km/h. Considering its weight of 2 tonnes, these figures are nothing short of impressive. The calmness with which it picks up speed is another aspect of its acceleration that draws praise. The 9-speed torque converter is always alert and engaging, while the 4Matic all-wheel drive transfers power to front wheels only when needed. Besides being fast and extremely quiet – at times it’s impossible to decipher that you’re driving a diesel – the CLS 400d faithfully retains virtues typical of a Mercedes. This means that the new CLS favours maximum comfort, even in the sportiest driving mode. This is clearly evident around bends, as the load transfer is not very aggressive. The well-weighed steering is precise, but it’s not quick. 

The CLS is ideal for those with a desire for a sportier variant of the E-Class, which is to say that you must be willing to sacrifice some space at the rear – especially headroom. However, we must add that it can actually seat three people in the back, which is certainly an achievement for a car of this shape and a significant improvement over past iterations.

AMG CLS 53 4MATIC +
AFFALTERBACH’S TOUCH

The specialists from Affalterbach couldn’t resist the temptation of lending a helping hand to the folks at Mercedes-Benz. And that’s why there’s a high-performance CLS 53 AMG available from the get-go. The engine used in this variant is the tuning-house’s new 3.0-litre, in-line six petrol that develops 429bhp and 520Nm. What’s more, the powertrain also has an EQ Boost mode – which is basically a 48V mild-hybrid system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration and sends it back, if necessary, in the form of a temporary boost of over 21bhp and 250Nm.

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