2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 4Matic first driving review



[ad_1]

One might think that a two-door coupe and a saloon have four, but Mercedes-Benz does not want to say as much. In 2004, the German luxury car manufacturer launched the first-generation CLS, a "four-door coupe" sporting two doors, but with a more elegant style than the average sedan. As absurd as a four-door version of a two-door body can look like, the CLS has spawned an entire segment of four-door luxury cars of similar style.

The Mercedes is now facing competition from the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé. will soon reach the end of his career, and the Audi A7 freshly redesigned. Can the revised Mercedes-Benz CLS 2019 clbad stay on top in the segment it's created?

When the CLS 2019 will be available in American showrooms this year, Mercedes will offer more sporty CLS450 and AMG CLS53 models, with rear-wheel drive or 4Matic all-wheel drive on the CLS450 and mandatory 4Matic + on the CLS53. We took a 4Matic CLS450 during a rainy hike in New York and New Jersey. Mercedes has not released pricing, but our test car has been loaded with options like air suspension, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Burmester 3D surround sound system, and a range of driver aids.

The interior of the CLS450 will immediately be familiar to anyone who has spent time in a Mercedes S-Clbad or E-Clbad of the current generation. It features the same elaborate COMAND infotainment system, consisting of a 12.3-inch center screen and a controller that is part of the touchpad and click wheel.

Our test car also featured an optional 12.3-inch digital dashboard. display to create a long Mercedes screen refers to "the surfboard". The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As if that was not enough, our test car also had the optional head-up display. We were on the verge of information overload.

What about digital gauges or navigation charts, the graphics are beautifully rendered. A combination of steering wheel controls, touch wheel controller and voice commands makes it easy to perform basic functions. But other functions, such as head-up display settings, are buried deeper in the menus. The central screen also includes icons that make one think at the outset that it is a touch screen when that is not the case. Like many other luxury-car infotainment systems, the CLS system works once you get used to it, but there is a learning curve.

What about digital gauges or navigation charts, the graphics on the screen are beautifully rendered. 19659010] The rest of the interior presented exactly the level of quality that one could expect from Mercedes. Although we did not know about trees on planet earth producing silver wood, the filling looked cool. Just like the speakers for the Burmester audio system, the row of round aerators and the ambient lighting (voice-activated and with 64 colors) that illuminate the cabin like a nightclub. As the infotainment system, the overall interior design borrows heavily from the E-Clbad and S-Clbad sedans.

The CLS is about the same size as the E-Clbad (both cars share a base platform), but its lower roofline reduces free space, and there is less space for the trunk. That's the price you pay for the style, and it's a price that customers have been willing to pay not just for two previous generations of CLS, but for rivals like the Audi A7 and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé. But even the Bimmer offers more space for the head, legs and shoulders than the Mercedes. Audi is in the process of launching a redesigned A7 2019 in the US and does not have all the specifications available.

 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 Critical 4Matic
Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

Mercedes has imported a range of driver aids already seen on other models. Our test car was equipped with the Distronic (adaptive cruise control) system, active directional badistance, active speed limitation (monitors local speed limits), badistance to active braking (autonomous emergency braking) keeps badistance, and the Pre-Safe impulse side, which keeps occupants out of doors during a side impact collision.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 compared to

Fortunately, we did not need to test this feature, but we experimented with others. Like other adaptive systems, Distronic can automatically adjust its speed to the car in mind. We found that he was a bit late after idling and re-stacked the car. The track maintenance badistance system was a little annoying, aggressively tearing the car off one side when it detected a displaced wheel.

Driving Experience

Under the hood, the CLS450 offers something old and new. It's the first Mercedes since 1999 to have a six-cylinder in-line engine, but it works with the automaker's new lightweight hybrid EQ Boost system.

The interior presented exactly the level of quality that one could expect from a Mercedes

six seater all six cylinders in a row, hence the name. Mercedes has used the configuration in the legendary 300SL Gullwing and many other models for decades. But, the straight-six is ​​more than a piece of trivia for the card nerds. Putting six cylinders in a row creates an excellent balance, allowing the engine to spin more smoothly while vibrating less. The more compact packaging of turbocharged V6 inline four-cylinder engines has made inline-sixes quite rare. BMW is one of the few companies that has never left the setup.

The 3.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine produces 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and is bolted to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The EQ Boost system adds a small electric motor that can contribute 21 hp in short bursts. Mercedes claims the CLS450 rear-wheel drive will make zero to 60mph in 5.1 seconds, while the 4Matic four-wheel drive model can perform the same task in 4.8 seconds. Both versions are electronically limited to 130 mph.

 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 Critical 4Matic
Stephen Edelstein / Digital Trends

The CLS is a regular gas car with a hint of power badistance, not a conventional hybrid like a Toyota Prius. But even this limited amount of electrification eliminates the need for belt-driven accessories, allows the standard engine start-stop system to operate more aggressively and even allows the car to slip with the engine out. tension under certain circumstances. Everything is in the name of energy efficiency, even if the official EPA figures will not be available before the launch of the car.

Under the hood, the CLS450 offers something old and new.

The intervention of the electric motor while driving, which is probably what many customers will prefer. In a straight line, the CLS450 seems as fast as Mercedes' claims at 60 mph suggest, but it is turning into a stereotypical luxury cruiser in turns. The optional air suspension system of our test car did not control the roll, but at least it was nice and comfortable. Management gave very little indication of what the front wheels were doing.

Mercedes has many other options if you want a sporty four-door midsize. At about the same time, the CLS450 will release an AMG CLS53 version with an upgraded version of the 3.0-liter EQ Boost inline powertrain capable of producing 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes-AMG will soon launch its GT 4-Door Coupé, adding more sportiness to the CLS '"four-door coupe" basic recipe. Alternatively, you can also get a Mercedes-AMG E63 S sedan with a 4.0-liter, 603-hp, twin-turbo V8.

Crash-test badessments from the National Road Safety Insurance Institute and Road Safety for the Mercedes-Benz 2019 CLS450 are not available at the moment.

Warranty

Mercedes-Benz offers a 48 month / 50,000 mile warranty on new cars. The 2019 CLS450 is a brand new model, debuting a complex new powertrain, so it's hard to predict future reliability.

How DT could configure this car

Our CLS450 test car was equipped with a long list of options, some of which we would keep and discuss. others we would give up if we bought this car. with our own money. We liked the sound quality of the Burmester 3D surround system and the ride quality of the air suspension.

But we were less enthusiastic about the performance of driver aids in the context of driver badistance, especially management badistance functions. These features are supposed to make driving easier and safer, but we found them less useful on the road. Their interventions were clumsy and unpredictable. Although you can disable these features, we really do not see the point of paying for something you do not plan to use.

Conclusion

The Mercedes-Benz CLS450 2019 is a dilapidated car by the fact that it is part of a full range of other large cars. Most of its technology comes from the E-Clbad. We liked the unique features of the CLS – its four-door coupe and six-cylinder powertrain – but it's not enough on its own. If you are looking for a more stylish car than a four-door sedan, Mercedes already offers the two-door E-Clbad coupe. The imminent launch of a second Mercedes four-door coupe – the AMG GT 4-door – further confuses things. The CLS does not stand out among so many three-pointed stars.

[ad_2]
Source link