Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4MATIC 2018 Review

Is there a luxury brand that offers more sedan choice than Mercedes-Benz?

You’ve got the big-three four-doors — C-Class, E-Class and S-Class to consider — to which you can now add the refurbished CLS. And there’s just the small matter of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe arriving in April 2019.

It seems a hell of a lot of iron to be throwing at a static part of the market. But then, being a luxury manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz is working with decent profit margins.

Certainly, it has different definitions of success to mainstream brands. Selling at least 100 examples of one model is the determining factor, not thousands.

The third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class will at best find at best a few hundred buyers in Australia, for while the four-door coupe concept remains the same, the line-up has been reduced.

The hi-po V8 AMG model has been binned and so have the V6 petrol engines, the entry-level diesel and the wagon (or shooting brake, in posh language).

What was a six-model range with pricing spread from $115,355 to $250,826 has been reduced to three, with pricing starting at $136,900 and topping out at $179,529.

It’s the $155,529 in-between model we’re testing here; the Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4MATIC, because the entry-level CLS 350 and the flagship AMG CLS 53 4MATIC+ don’t get here until November.

These prices are slightly lower than that we reported from the global CLS launch back in March because of Luxury Car Tax threshold changes from July 1.

The 450’s price is a fair old impost over the $139,826 CLS 400 it replaces, although Benz would argue it’s closer in spec to the $170,826 CLS 500 V8.

The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is based on the E-Class and the rear/all-wheel MRA architecture that underpins all the brand’s passenger cars from the C-Class upwards.

Its exterior retains the high-sill, low roofline, raked-out pillars and frameless windows that have distinguished the CLS from its ‘conventional’ sedan stablemates. The front-end shows off the new Benz ‘predator face’ and the body is crease-free in pursuit of design chief Gordon Wagener’s ‘sensual purity’ styling language.

The 450 debuts the new M256 turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol inline six-cylinder in Australia, which makes 270kW and 500Nm in this application and drives all four wheels.

A 48-volt ‘EQ’ starter-generator that’s integrated between the engine and nine-speed automatic transmission provides mild-hybrid boosting and an extra 15kW and 250Nm in short bursts.

The 450 does not, however, get the electric compressor that supplements low-end response in the new CLS 53 AMG.

The 450’s fuel consumption claim is 8.7L/100km and its emissions figure 197g/km of CO2 on 98 RON fuel with the aid of idle-stop. Australian-spec versions of the engine do not get the particulate filter fitted in Europe.

Standard CLS 450 safety equipment includes nine airbags, a package of driver assist systems that includes autonomous emergency braking, a 360-degree camera, Multibeam LED headlights and a head-up display. The new CLS comes with run-flat tyres and a pressure-loss warning system.

The CLS 450 rolls on 20-inch alloys, is swathed in a full leather and wood interior with AMG design bits and bobs, and also gets power soft-closing doors, Burmester surround sound, heated front seats with memory functions, dual-zone climate control and a sunroof.

It also comes with the widescreen cockpit display system that debuted in the E-Class. This delivers a high level of personalisation and crystal-clear digital imagery.

There are even turbine-style air-con vents that change colour along with the temperature, as part of the 64-colour interior ambient light package.

And just to ensure you’re at peace with the world, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 four-door coupe includes the ‘energizing comfort control package’, which issues aromas via the aircon, has massaging seats and offers specially selected music.

Alongside the complex drivetrain, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 adds air suspension and five-mode ‘Dynamic Select’ tuneability that ranges from Eco at the frugal end to Sport+ at the, er, sporty end. You can also tailor the set-up through Individual.

But whichever way you go, the fundamental Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class character cannot be evaded. This is a big and heavy cruiser rather than a sports car in four-door disguise.

The limited data provided by Mercedes-Benz Australia for the local launch did not include kerb weights, but in European spec (in which it would be lighter with less gear) it is 1865kg.

And you definitely feel every one of those kegs piloting the Mercedes-Benz CLS around. It’s faithful in its steering and handling but it’s not lithe, nor nimble. That impression is further amplified by the car’s size at 4988mm long and 1890mm wide.

Whether it was a country road or a city carpark, the new CLS simply feels big.

Playing with Dynamic Select helps a bit. In Comfort mode the ride is soft, body control wobbly and the steering light. Wind up through Sport and Sport+ and inputs get harsher and steering more decisive.

The drivetrain is impressive. There’s smooth response at any revs from both engine and transmission. In Eco mode the engine can shut down and the drivetrain go into ‘sailing’ mode. Give it the berries and there is a bit of snarl, but it’s still too muted even with an AMG sports exhaust standard.

Paddles provide extra gearbox control — something that was necessary any time we were negotiating tight terrain. Even in Sport+ this car has a relatively relaxed demeanour.

Relaxation is a key attribute for passengers too. The front seats are deep and supportive and the surrounds suitably high quality. Sound deadening is effective, making progress quiet.

Rear seat passengers over 180cm are going to find themselves limited for headroom though. And for the first time the CLS is a five-seater (the AMG GT four-door Coupe will be a four-seater), but the middle seat is seriously compromised by the transmission tunnel.

It’s also worth noting that despite being a bigger car than its predecessor, the new Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has slightly less luggage space. That’s because the arrival of EQ Boost has required the traditional 12-volt battery be shifted to the boot.

So that’s the CLS450 4MATIC — another brick in the massive wall that is Mercedes-Benz’s model range.

Significant for the return of the inline six-cylinder engine, in other ways the CLS four-door coupe provides the answer to a question that only a few are asking.

Well, few more than 100 anyway.

How much does the Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 4MATIC cost:
Price: $155,529 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 3.0-litre inline turbo-petrol six-cylinder
Outputs: 270kW/500Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.7L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 197g CO2/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: TBC