The Mercedes-Benz CLS: A Revolutionary Design

In 2003, the Mercedes Benz CLS made a significant impact on the automotive world because it was a super elegant Mercedes that shocked everyone with its sleek design. Before this, the Mercedes brand was not exactly known for its elegance, but this model changed everything. It was also the first car to introduce the 4-door coupe body type, a design element that has been widely copied by other brands, especially those from Germany.

We are driving the third generation of the CLS today, which is the Edition 1 version of the CLS 450 petrol engine. This model is available for about a year after its introduction to the market. As we take a closer look at this car, it's evident that there have been many changes since its predecessor. The first CLS was presented in 2003 and brought to market in 2004; if you see one today, almost 15 years later, it's still considered a beautiful car.

The second generation of the CLS was more modest than its predecessor but did feature the shooting brake design, which is one of our author's all-time favorite cars. This third generation is more outspoken and bold compared to its predecessors. Let's start with the front end of the car, where we have a new diamond grill with individual pieces and a horizontal bar that sets it apart from previous models.

This new grill is quite large and noticeable, and because this is the Edition 1 model, it has a copper glow that gives it an exclusive look. The headlights are also new, featuring a shark nose design that combines a slightly slanted front end with sharply lined headlights that follow the contours of the body. This results in a cartoon-like shark appearance that sets the CLS apart from other cars on the road.

The Edition 1 pack comes with additional extras and exclusive features that make it stand out from other models. Now, let's move forward to the rest of the car.

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As we look at the side profile of the CLS, we can see how the new design elements come together to create a cohesive and modern look. The new grill and headlights are integrated seamlessly with the rest of the body, creating a streamlined appearance that is both sleek and aggressive.

The Edition 1 model also comes with an AMG Line package, which adds exclusive features not available on other models. This includes additional design elements such as unique wheels, interior trim, and exterior accents.

The car's interior is equally impressive, featuring luxurious materials and cutting-edge technology. The dashboard is modern and minimalist, with a large infotainment screen and intuitive controls for the various systems.

Overall, the Mercedes Benz CLS is a masterpiece of design and engineering, combining elegance and sophistication with performance and luxury. Whether you're driving on the highway or navigating through busy city streets, this car is sure to turn heads and make a lasting impression.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enin 2003 the Mercedes Benz CLSshocked everyonebecause it was a super elegant Mercedeswhile before.. wellit wasn't all that elegantdon't say that too loudbut it was also the first carto introduce the 4-door coupebody typea type we've seen copiedby all brandsespecially the German premium brandswe're driving the 3rd generation todayCLS 450 petrol versionand it's an Edition 1which is available for about a yearafter the introduction of the CLSand because there have been so many changesI thought I'd take you around the carand show you the new stuffbecause it's quite a big changethe first CLSpresented in 2003brought to market in 2004and if you see one todayalmost 15 years laterit's still a beautiful carthe 2nd generationwas a bit more modestbut did have the shooting brakewhich was very specialand which is stillone of my all time favorite carsthis 3rd generationis more outspoken againlet's start at the frontwe've got a new diamond grillwith those individual piecesand a horizontal barit's quite a big grillit's larger than beforeand because this is the Edition 1it has a copper glowit has new headlightsand sort of a shark nose frontit's slightly slantedthe nose is angled downcombined with those sharply lined headlightswhich follow the bodyyou get sort of a cartoon shark lookthe Edition 1 pack also meansyou get an AMG Line packagewith some extrasexclusive to the Edition 1so let's move onwe have 20\" AMG wheelswith regular Mercedes brakesand Edition 1 badgeto emphasize that you're specialSelenite gray is this colorthat matte colorgives the car a special lookmoving onof course the quintessential CLS sidewith that sleek sidethe doors are very highwindows very lowwith frameless windowsso typical CLSand typical Coupe of coursemoving onmore 20\" wheelsthe rearone of the more controversial partssome people think it's hideousbut it is completely newand it's low and widethose rear lights have been moved downto give it an even wider rear endand below that two exhaust tipsand if we take a look at the interiorit's sort of a mixbetween E-class and S-classhave a lookand because it's an Edition 1we have a badge right herean IWC clockand everywhere on the interiorboth up here and down thereon the seatsthe doorsit has copper colored stitchingthese seats are Edition 1 toowith diamond stitchingand with copper colored pipingEdition 1 floor matswith copper pipingand an ash wood trimwhich I really likebecause you can feel the grain of the woodI think it's beautifulit's a real mix between E-class and S-classit has an S-class steering wheelwith that aluminiumdown here is mostly E-classit has turbine shaped air ventswhich feel really goodthey spin smoothlyand they click into placeand they also change colorwhen you lower or raise the temperaturethat's also new for this carwe also saw that on the new A-classdriving thenas I said: it's a CLS 450it's a petrol versionand it has the all new inline-6 enginethe M256 3.0Lwith 367 HP and 500 Nmbut it also has a 48V-systemwith Lithium ion batteryand an electric motorwhich sits between engine and gearboxand does three thingsit's an alternatorit provides driveand it powers some partswhich used to be on the crankshaftso airconditioningwater- and oil pumpyou used to need a belt for thatbut those are now poweredby that electric systemwhich is really very smartbecause it gives the petrol enginea new lease on lifebecause petrol consuming partsare being stripped awayin a completely new wayand making the engine efficientcan be done in other waysother than focussing on just the engineand it has another perkI'll stop the caras I said the electric motorprovides drive as well22 HP and 250 Nmwhich means getting off the lineI'll put it in SPORT+SPORT+yephere we gothis thing really rockets away4.8s to 100 km/htop speed is 250 km/h of coursebut you really do get a boostfrom that electric motoron the first 20 or 30 metersyou really feel the differencethe system is called ISGIntegrated Starter Generatorwhich sort of says it allbut I haven't talked about the starterwhich has 2 cool thingsthe first is when you get inand start the caryou don't really feel anythingbecause there's no starter motorit's fired up by that electrical systemand the second cool thingis that when I switch to comfort or ecoand I'm driving alongimagine I'm coming up to a lightor an intersectionI'll release the throttleand you get that 'sail' modewhich we know from Mercedeseven AMG's have itand in the pastit would disconnectthe gearbox and the engineso the engine would keep runningbut it didn't have drivebut nowthe engine switches off completelybut everything is still workingbecause it's powered electricallyso I'm coasting nowwith the engine turned offand if I touch the throttle againthe engine turns on immediatelybut you don't feel anythingit's quite bizarrethe driving experience is so supplebecause that electrical system is helpingit just becomes so smoothit's really lovelyand that's also becauseit's an inline-6 enginewhich is inherently more balancedthan a V6it doesn't need to be balancedand it's also part of the newmodular engine programwhich means there will also bea 2 liter 4-cylinder enginethe M264which is basically this enginewith 2 cylinders cut offand also utilizes this electrical systembut that will be available later onAs luck would have itwe're at the Autobahn of courselike you were expecitinganything elsebut let's test the performance and soundbecause an inline-6 usually sounds goodSPORT+ engagedwe have the optional air suspensionAir Body Controlwhich means it's a bit firmer nowyou get steel springs as standardlet's see if that top speed is correct255 km/hno complaints thereit's seriously quick this cara CLS 53 AMG is also comingwhich has this engineand this 48V systembut adds an electric compressorwhich counters the turbo lagand has 435 HPI'm very curious about that onebut the hybridization of these carsthat works in so many waysit works on 3 levels reallyimproving the carthat's a form of hybrids I can get behindbecause it's very inventiveit adds to the driving experienceI'll slow down a bit nowyou get more performancethe fuel economy is betterit's more efficientbiggest downside to this CLS though?the shooting brake is not coming backthe new CLS is a fantastic carand maybe even more importantit's controversial in a good wayit's progressiveand Mercedes challenges the competition\n"