Los Angeles Motor Show: 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS revealed

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the third generation of CLS at the Los Angeles Motor Show

The four-door coupe comes with a ‘completely new’ range of inline six engines, as well as a plethora of luxury features.

In addition, its new look takes Mercedes-Benz’s current design language into account, with a forward-slanted grille which widens towards the bottom, and sleeker lights.

However, it still echoes the design of its predecessor, the four-door coupe being instantly recognisable.

Mercedes chief design officer Gorden Wagener says this third generation of the CLS was designed with a more simplified ideology in mind.

“The new CLS is a design icon as the archetype of the four-door coupé,” says Wagener.

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“In line with our hot & cool design philosophy, we have reduced its DNA to an extremely puristic level while emotionally charging it with an almost erotic beauty.”

Under the elongated hood will sit one of three inline six engines, either a 210kW/600Nm or 250kW/700Nm 3.0-litre diesel, or a 270kW/500Nm petrol engine.

With added power and torque from an integrated electric motor called ‘EQ Boost’, the more powerful petrol engine peaks at 286kW and 750Nm while EQ Boost is active.

This equates to a brisk 0-100km/h sprint of 4.8 seconds.

But the real draw of the CLS is comfort and luxury. Inside, exclusive CLS seats are able to use heat, vents, and massage functions to run a ‘driver wellness’ feature, which also utilises Mercedes’ fragrance system and the car’s lighting and musical atmospheres to appeal to the driver’s mood – or the mood they’d rather be in.

The CLS can also help protect occupants from side-impact crashes, with Driving Assistance Plus package being able to recognise when a hit will happen, and giving the occupants a ‘side impulse’ to help reduce the shock.

Mercedes is offering a launch model of the CLS called ‘Edition 1’ which will be available for one year after its market launch.

It features black pearl nappa leather seats with copper-coloured accents, copper-coloured contrasting topstitching on the centre console, seats, armrests, dashboard, and door linings.