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NEWS
Benz announces all-wheel drive for CLS 63 AMG
New E 63 technology flows through to CLS, but RHD markets are denied all-paw tractionMercedes-Benz has an upgraded CLS 63 AMG in the works, but the local market won't see the all-wheel drive versions available overseas.
As was the case with the GLK the vehicle packaging of the E 63 and CLS 63 won't accommodate the extra drivetrain components for 4MATIC (all-wheel drive) variants if the steering wheel is on the right.
But in the case of the high-performance AMG variants, that's less of a concern to Mercedes-Benz spokesman, David McCarthy, than the lack of a direct rival for BMW's X3 and Audi's Q5.
"Predominantly it's a car for the colder climates of Europe and the US," he told motoring.com.au this morning. "In terms of delivering the power to the ground, that's a factor, but with CLS and with E-Class, it's not engineered for [right-hand drive].
"We would like to have it available to us; [but] is it going to be that significant? I don't think so."
According to the Senior Manager for Corporate Communications at Mercedes-Benz Australia, the question of missing sales by not having 4MATIC versions of the AMG-tweaked E-Class or CLS pales into insignificance alongside the problem posed by the inability to field the GLK in Australia.
"At the end of the day... let's say you're talking maximum – in those two cars [E 63 and CLS 63] – probably 200 units a year. I think we'd be able to sell 200 GLKs a month. Given the choice, I would absolutely take a compact SUV over an all-wheel drive AMG. I'm not saying we wouldn't take it, but it's not on the radar."
The CLS will be powered by an upgraded version of the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8, generating 410kW and 720Nm – a significant gain on the 386kW and 700Nm of the current model. In markets where the 4MATIC 'S-Model' CLS is to be sold, the output rises to 430kW and 800Nm. Despite the added power, the new CLS 63 achieves roughly the same fuel consumption – 9.9L/100km by the NEDC standard for the upgrade model, 10.0L/100km in accordance with the local ADR-approved standard for the current model. Acceleration in rear-wheel drive form takes 4.2 seconds to 100km/h, but the higher-powered S-Model variants, with all-wheel drive, can reach the same speed in 3.6.
All CLS 63 variants come with the AMG Speedshift MCT 7 transmission, which can be operated in four modes: "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual). In C mode the vehicle's engine cuts out at traffic lights to save fuel.
Mercedes AMG has revised the CLS 63's suspension, with added aluminium members for the strut front end and a wider front track. The manufacturer claims dynamic gains from this and the standard AMG Ride Control feature.
The upgraded CLS 63 AMG is due to hit global markets around mid-year.
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Written byKen Gratton
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