BOOSTED BENZ
DAIMLER’S design chief stands beside the new Mercedes- Benz CLS. “This is one of our sexiest cars, definitely,” says Gorden Wagener. And the big four- door coupe, with its arching roofline, slim side windows and smooth curves is an eye- catcher. But the CLS is va- va- voom for the Viagra demographic.
On average, CLS owners are even older than the not- so- young customers for Mercedes- Benz’s E- Class sedan. And they don’t have the same need for speed and noise that appeals to buyers of the racy and raucous models produced by the AMG gofast division.
The new CLS line- up, due to launch in the latter half of this year, will be topped by an AMG version. But it’s one tailored to suit the driving style of the more “mature” customer attracted to the four- door coupe.
Still, the engine of the range- topping CLS53 is something to get excited about. Entirely new, the turbocharged and electricboosted 3.0- litre in- line six ( 320kW/ 520Nm) eventually will replace the same- size turbo V6 in more popular models such as the C43 and E43.
The in- line engine’s turbo, driven as usual by escaping exhaust gas, works together with a powerful electric compressor. This instantly blows air into the cylinders at low revs, avoiding the usual lag in an exhaust- driven turbo — once the engine is spinning, the turbo takes over.
A further power boost can be delivered by a starter- alternator sandwiched between the engine and transmission.
This delivers an extra spurt of power and torque — 16kW and 250Nm — when the accelerator is floored. Switching from starter motor duties to generator when the car is coasting, it recharges the 48V battery, which in turn powers the air compressor.
Mercedes- Benz drivetrain engineers estimate this energy- recycling mild- hybrid set- up increases vehicle fuel efficiency by up to 10 per cent. The company’s name for the technology is EQ Boost, linking it to the electric and electrified EQ models it is developing.
EQ Boost is a feature of the three engines in versions of the CLS headed for Australia.
The CLS 450 has a tamer version of the 3.0, doing without the air compressor of the CLS 53. Its CLS 350 sibling has Benz’s new 2.0- litre four- cylinder. Its EQ Boost differs from the sixes, with a less powerful beltdrive starter- alternator mounted on the front of the engine.
Mercedes- Benz Australia expects the four- cylinder to be easily the bestseller. It will be priced at $ 136,900.
The 450 will be $ 155,900, while the 53 will be $ 179,900. The premium is about $ 15,000-$ 20,000 on the most comparable E- Class models.
Under the skin, the CLS is closely related to Benz’s big sedan. The CLS brings some extra interior glamour, but there’s not enough headroom for tall people in the rear seats. The arching roofline makes getting in and out of the rear more difficult and the angled windscreen pillars can obstruct outward vision.
On the road the CLS rides comfortably on its standard- for- Australia Air Body Control suspension, which combines air springs with adjustable and adaptive shock absorbers.