Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 2010 Review

It's always hard in the car business to do a sequel off the back of a success story, and the latest Mercedes-Benz CLS proves it. The original four-door coupe is a sales winner and a category pioneer, converting people to the idea of a four-seat sedan with a curvy coupe roofline, so CLS II is more of the same.

But...Benz has done a good job to improve the package and value, with a number of important new safety systems, but there are questions about the styling of the car that lands in Australia in the first half of next year. If the original CLS was as smooth and unruffled as Pierce Brosnan playing James Bond, then the new car is more like Daniel Craig.

It's still 007, but harder edged, more brutal and threatening. Benz knows it is pushing the limit with CLS II and that it could polarize buyers, but there is a strategy. "I think the world is becoming a bit more obvious. There is a higher demand for showing your label, your brand," says Benz's chief designer, Gordon Wagener.

He has definitely driven the CLS forward and there is lots of stuff inside his body to like, from a slightly roomier cabin to a driving   experience that's more planted and more refined.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is also promising pricing for the new team - with V8, V6 petrol and turbodiesel engines - that will be almost line-  ball with the current stickers, which points to a starting price around $155,000.

"Mercedes-Benz would not be Mercedes if the second generation did not have more of everthing. We are convinced it will succeed on both the rational and emotional levels," says SLS program chief, Dr Michael Kramer.

VALUE

A lot of money has gone into the new CLS but it is not going to cost a lot more to buy. That's definitely a win.

The engines are upgraded, and the V6 petrol is an impressive newcomer, while the CLS gets Benz's classy seven-speed automatic.  It's too early for Benz to confirm prices or equipment for Australia, but CLS II should come loaded and the company always boosts safety when it can. In this case that means nine airbags - there is now even protection for the front passengers' pelvis area - although the active lane and blind-spot assistance will likely be optional.

TECHNOLOGY

There are four new engines, aluminium doors, more safety, active parking assistance, a full-LED light package, and all-new electronic   power assistance for the steering. It's a lot of stuff and shows how much Benz has in the melting pot for everything new it designs and builds.

The most impressive things are the engines - more power, less fuel, lower emissions - the chassis work and the lamps. Switching to LEDs also cuts power drain, important with the extra needed for the electric steering.

The active lane-change and blind-spot systems are claimed as big breakthroughs, braking the car - ESP style - to bring it back into line.

DESIGN

The original CLS was elegant and impressive, despite comparisons with Ford's unloved AU Falcon. This time around, Wagener has gone tough. The front is blunt and sends   an 'outa my way' message, and there are chunky wheelarches and some edgy finishing to the body.

It's not my favourite, but it's always important to let a car have some time to settle into the landscape. A former Benz design chief, Bruno Scacco, once told me any car you like straight away would date very fast and he is usually right. The cabin is more refined and user-friendly in the new CLS, although - despite the company's claims of more width and headroom in the back - you still have to be careful not to bang your head while getting into   the rear seats and headroom is not good.

SAFETY

Benz is the world leader in safety - despite Volvo's track record - and the CLS has those nine airbags, plenty of active safety systems to   get you out of trouble, and even the LED lamps for better night-time visibility. It's a certain five-star NCAP car and will get bonus points for its new technology.

DRIVING

The new CLS is a significantly better drive and it comes down to two things - chassis work and the new power steering. The car feels more relaxed in all conditions, even pushing hard with the V8 engine, and the steering is wonderfully tactic and rewarding.  

It makes the car a dream drive, even on narrow, pockmarked Italian backroads. CLS II sits firmly on the road, has great brakes, and the latest engines - the V6 petrol is a real treat, although it needs some revving for its best - are up to the class of the whole package.

I like the cabin layout, it's comfortable and quiet, and there is plenty of standard equipment and a mind-boggling array of extra stuff. But you still have to be careful sliding into the back seat, and I'm not a fan of the latest 'active' safety systems that take control away from the driver.

No engineer can possibly predict every potential emergency or the driver's reaction, and that worries me. But there is no worry about the second-generation CLS, which will be a winner. It's not the best looking car on the road, but it easily beats the Porsche Panamera and definitely stands out in a crowd.

VERDICT

Not the prettiest new car, but a great drive