2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 First Drive



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The CLS Mercedes-Benz 2019 is called a "four-door coupe".

If this sentence makes you cringe and grind your teeth because a coupe by definition is a two-door car, well, you have the Mercedes-Benz CLS to blame. When Mercedes introduced the E-Class CLS in 2006, it drew attention to the sloped roofline and frameless windows, which look more like what we see on a sports car at two doors that a sensible sedan. Thus, the four-door coupe was born. However, you do not need to love the marketing language to love the car.

No matter what you call it, the CLS offers a unique way to combine the ease of use of a four-door without the heavy and heavy appearance usually associated with sedans. In 2019, the redesigned CLS features a new turbocharged six-cylinder in-line engine with a lightweight hybrid system, semi-autonomous driver assistance packages and, for the first time, seating for five people. In addition, there is an AMG version. We took a quick tour of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 four-wheel drive on the streets of New Jersey, getting lost in Manhattan on the way. Here are our first impressions.

  2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450

The Walk Up

The Mercedes-Benz CLS 2019 is available in three versions: the CLS 450, the CLS 450 4Matic AWD, and the AMG CLS 53. Greet even the base CLS, and you may think that you are riding on an AMG GT. Certainly, the local Brooklyn who stood nearby when we opened the door on our test car was thinking so. "You just bought that?" He asked. "Attention, AMG is a fast car."

You can understand why he thought it was the high performance model: The CLS 450 shares styling signals with the GT. It has the same long hood and wide grille between the inclined LED headlights – happily running lengthwise at the front of the car, and not the trapeze at the fish-mouth open so popular these days -this. It's no longer an aggressive grin, or maybe a flat-faced banana. But anyway, the CLS looks racy and a little angry and certainly not heavy. The lower fascia is also inspired by the AMG GT, with large integrated air ducts that wrap around to almost touch the 19-inch alloy wheels.

On the other hand, it's a different story. The CLS has had a little butt-lift for 2019, but from the back, the car does not seem quite ready for a fight. Sweeping from the roof line to the trunk lid gives it a drooping appearance at certain angles, but not as much as in previous CLS models

  2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450

The Drive Away

] Mercedes' interiors look like science fiction cockpits, or perhaps as a new steampunk aesthetic that combines modernity with the atomic era rather than the Victorian era? Let's call it MidcenturySilicon. The dashboard is a set of brilliant digital screens (the 12.3-inch gauge screen is standard, while the larger infotainment display is optional), the metal and wood, as well as round mouths that look like jet turbines. It's a good mashup, managing to be clean and interesting at the same time. One of the complaints we will make at the beginning is that digital screens look like touch screens, but they are not. Inputs are possible via control pads on the steering wheel, buttons on the center console, a button in the console and a touchpad above. But they are not where you expect most: on this central screen. During the trip, we forgot about it several times and we hit the screen leaving frustrated and frustrated fingerprints.

When you do not look at the untouchable screen, the Mercedes infotainment is quick and lets you get familiar with the menus. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but we immediately used the onboard navigation when we missed the first corner to leave the city and made an impromptu tour of the trendy neighborhoods around the Brooklyn Bridge. The car recalculated quickly and did not try to send us streets or one-way lanes. Visibility was good, even going around the double-parking delivery trucks. The turbocharged 362-hp in-line six-cylinder engine was responsive, without delay or delay, allowing us to keep up with the world of New York workers who eat or are eaten.

Part of this reactivity is due to the built-in starter / generator, the electric motor between the engine and its nine-speed automatic transmission. Although not being a complete hybrid, the electric motor adds up to 21 hp and up to 181 lb.-ft. of torque at the 369 lb-ft of 3.0 liters. The electric assist just comes off the throttle to give the turbo boost time, improving acceleration. And when the engine stop is activated, the CLS can ride short distances without restarting the gas engine.

  2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450

Relax, the CLS got it

If you find it seems stressful to fly a luxurious luxury car in Manhattan, you have not not wrong. But the CLS did what it could to make life easier, and it can do a lot. In addition to monitoring blind spots for easier lane changes, the CLS system includes braking and attention assistance to help drivers focus and avoid problems. The 360-degree camera can be used at any time, allowing a gas station to be put on to deal with a much less nerve-racking situation. If we had gotten a little more privacy with the townspeople than we would have liked, the CLS not only has airbags, but it can also feel an imminent crash and adjust the seat bolsters to move you to the center of the car. the door almost crumple.

We were less impressed by the semi-autonomous driving assistant since the steering controls of the car did not seem to collide with dotted road lines. But he compensated with vigorous corrections on a two-lane road whenever we even thought about brushing the outside edge of the lane. It was unpleasant and, in one case, surprising when the car pulled so hard that we thought that one tire was flat.

When we did not fight the CLS for control, the handling was light and dreamy. The optional air suspension allows for changes in ride height on the fly, and different modes increase the exhaust note, tighten the steering and strengthen driving – even if it's never been shocking even in the most sporty setting. All inputs had a kind of sweetness to them. The brakes were not clutched, and the throttle was not nervous. The only aggressive act of this car is the lane correction.

Fortunately, the CLS is happy to help you relax after it makes you flip. An optional comfort package transforms it into a wheeled spa. Do you want to calm down? Find the setting "Relaxing" in the menu and lighting – oh yes, there is an adjustable interior lighting throughout the cabin – passes a soft blue, a slight fragrance comes from the scent jar in the glove box and float in the vents, and the seats vibrate under you like a happy cat. To activate, activate the "Energizing" program. Everything turns red and purple, and energetic music plays through the optional Burmester stereo. There is even a program of exercises that will tell you about shoulder stretches and good posture while driving.

If only he could give you a freeze manicure from the dashboard, the new CLS would be better than one day at Burke Williams.

  2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450

Coupe Coupé [19659002] The CLS 2019 looks a bit like a transitional car. Designwise is hard on the front, soft on the back; it's half AMG and half E-Class. It can now accommodate five people and has an excellent legroom. But it's still tight for the big ones in the back because of this low roof line Mercedes is so proud of. The engine technology is interesting, but will it be more appealing than the V8 of the CLS 2018? There is a difference of almost 40 hp, and not in favor of the inline-six. Will mileage gains be enough to make the hybrid system lightweight? Finally, comfort programs and fragrances are astute board games, but we prefer that the touch screen and the MBUX system have just been announced in Class A 2019. The 2019 CLS 450 is an attractive car with some lovely features, but it might be worth waiting to see what comes in 2020.

You can expect the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 in the dealerships here the autumn of 2019. We are not having official prices at the moment. But the 2018 CLS started at $ 75,000, and we expect the 2019 model to be in this price range.

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