Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CDI BlueEfficiency 2010 Review

Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 and CLS 350 CDI BlueEfficiency

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OVERVIEW

Now that there's a new CLS on the way, Benz has refined the concept -- and arguably moved away from the Jaguar. The new car, which we drove in Italy just after the 2010 Paris motor show, remains true to the original ideal of a slinky, low-roof sedan (sorry, it's hard to call it a 'coupe' when it has four doors), but features looks that echo a sense of purpose and drama. It makes the superseded car appear softer somehow, but not everyone welcomes the more aggressive styling, arguing that it lacks the elegance of the Jaguar it is supposed to rival.

Timing for the new car is just about spot on. Audi's A7 is now with us and BMW is understood to have a competitor in the wings, so the CLS has arrived in the nick of time for Benz.

Globally, the CLS will be launched in a range comprising two V6 variants (one petrol, one diesel), with a four-cylinder diesel CLS 250 CDI BlueEfficiency to follow in a couple of months. The diesel V8-engined CLS 500 BlueEfficiency is due later again, in April 2011.

Australian buyers will get to see the new CLS appearing in local showrooms near the end of the second quarter 2011.  Benz plans to introduce the two V6 variants first, with the V8 hopefully putting in an appearance at the same time. The CLS 250 CDI BlueEfficiency is also a possibility, but not yet confirmed.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- Currency and competitors to influence price?
Mercedes-Benz is not prepared to release local pricing for the CLS yet, but should the strength of the Australian dollar continue unabated, the news may be good for local CLS buyers. If history's any guide, Benz will find a way to stay close to the pricing of the current car. That could mean an entry price for the CLS 350 of around $160,000 -- but that's our guess. Benz walks a fine line between pricing vehicles profitably and leaving too much margin for competitors.

In Europe the CLS will definitely be fitted as standard with Artico synthetic upholstery, electrically-adjustable front seats, Audio 20 CD system, climate control and rain-sensing wipers.

While not certain from the European press material, Benz clients in Australia will also be holding out for leather trim (in lieu of Artico), Distronic Plus active cruise control, Parktronic parking sensors with acoustic/graphic guidance, Comand multimedia infotainment, Keyless-Go start/stop and a glass sunroof.

MECHANICAL
-- Accentuating the environmental benefits
At 4940mm the new CLS is 25mm longer than the car it replaces and just 8mm wider (1881mm). But Benz has kept the bloat to a minimum and, as a consequence, the new model makes significantly fewer demands on fossil fuels. To save weight throughout the car, Mercedes-Benz engineers specified aluminium doors, bonnet, front quarter panels, boot lid, parcel shelf and other structural components. Overall weight is down around 24kg (depending on model).
 
Fuel efficiency is also improved through aerodynamic gains, the new CLS achieving a wind-tunnel-tested drag coefficient of 0.26Cd -- or to put it another way: a 13 per cent reduction. Benz reports that even with the new model's larger frontal area, the aerodynamic efficiency is improved overall (CdA) by a figure as high as 10 per cent, depending on variant.

Also at the heart of reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the CLS features an electromechanical 'Direct Steer' system, for which Benz claims a 0.3-litre reduction in fuel use per 100km and a 7gm improvement in the combined-cycle emissions figure for each kilometre travelled. According to the manufacturer, the benefits were achieved without detracting from steering feedback.

Of the two V6 variants driven by the Carsales Network at the launch of the CLS, the diesel engine displaced 3.0 litres and the petrol engine was a 3.5-litre unit. Peak power and torque stats are 195kW/620Nm for the diesel and 225kW/370Nm for the petrol V6. Torque plateaus over a range of engine speeds (1600-2400rpm for the diesel, 3500-5250rpm for the petrol engine).

Fuel consumption figures in combined-cycle testing are 6.0-6.1L/100km (CLS 350 CDI) or 6.1L/100km (CLS 350) and CO2 emissions vary from 159 to 160g/km for the diesel, 159 to 164g/km for the petrol.

A new feature in the CLS range, ECO Start will be available with the 350 (petrol V6) and 250 CDI (four), but not immediately with the 350 CDI diesel V6 -- although it will happen eventually, Benz tells us. This fuel-saving stop-start device contributes to the petrol V6 variant's lower fuel consumption -- according to Benz's press material, the CLS 350 BlueEfficiency uses 25 per cent less fuel than its predecessor (5.7L/100km), with the four-cylinder CLS 250 CDI BlueEfficiency bettering that with a figure of 5.1L/100km.

Power figures for the other engines in the CLS range will be 150kW for the CLS 250 CDI BlueEfficiency and 300kW for the CLS 500 BlueEfficiency.

Both the V6 variants drive through the 7G-Tronic seven-speed epicyclic automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The transmission features a sequential-shift facility and shift paddles.

PACKAGING

Seats were comfortable and supportive, with the headrests pillowy-soft. The driver's seat featured (optional) auto-inflating side bolsters, which hold you in place properly, but might be overkill as they were. They could be disconcerting in corners, but Benz advises that they can be adjusted to be a little less aggressive.

Dual-zone climate control worked very well and most Comand functions -- particularly satnav -- were dead easy to use.

Vision to the rear wasn't great, but the reverse parking sensors with acoustic guidance and reversing camera compensated for that.

Apart from those external panels constructed from aluminium (see Mechanical section), the new CLS employs rigid and ultra-rigid steel alloys for 72 per cent of the body. The front crumple zone deforms through four levels, claims Benz: sectional panels above the wheel arches, an aluminium crossmember between the side rails, engine subframe and side skirts within the wheel arches. Both front and rear crumple zones have been enlarged for the latest model. Other built-in safety elements include a four-part firewall and a passenger safety cell incorporating transverse aluminium bracing for the transmission tunnel.

There's little left lacking in the new model for the purposes of safety. Airbags number nine, with one for the driver's knee and two more for the pelvis of each front-seat occupant.

In addition to the items already mentioned, the CLS will come equipped with Attention Assist, Pre-Safe, LED headlights with Adaptive High Beam Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist. Both the last two systems rely on the car's stability control system to effect avoiding action.

Based on press material supplied at the Paris show and the Italian launch, some Night View Assist Plus and Speed Limit Assist are nominally options, but by the time the CLS reaches us in Oz, chances are they'll have jumped across to the standard column.

COMPETITORS
-- Jag XF poses a threat
Jaguar's XF is here and now -- and it's also the car that most would consider a direct competitor to the CLS -- but it's Audi's A7 and, more to the point, the upcoming BMW competitor that will pose the greatest hurdle for the CLS in the marketplace. The BMW, unveiled as a concept in China earlier this year, was named Concept Gran Coupe, but is likely to be labelled with some other name by the time it reaches production.

Buyers who aren't necessarily locked into a car in the same ballpark for external dimensions might also consider the Jaguar XJ, or the various (conventional) sedan alternatives from the prestige importers; such cars as: BMW 5/7 Series, Mercedes E/S-Class and the Audi A6/A8.

It's larger and has a tailgate, but BMW's 5 Series GT may also appeal to buyers otherwise tempted by the CLS. [Ed: there's more room for their guide dogs!]

ON THE ROAD
-- Beaut V6 engines provide frugal operation
Our test drive in Italy was limited to the two V6 models. The drive program didn't really allow the CLS to stretch its legs, winding its way through Tuscan villages and narrow mountain passes. What did impress immediately, however, despite the anodyne route, were the two drivetrains sampled. Both responded promptly to a full-blooded prod of the accelerator pedal, even from a standing start.

The diesel (350 CDI) exhibited negligible turbo lag from launch and the petrol model would fire and take off faster than any auto-stop/start-equipped car we can recall. Both engines sounded excellent, with the petrol V6 revving crisply through to redline, pumping out a rich note the whole way.

For its part, the diesel sounded at times like a petrol V8, burbling away from around 3000rpm. We didn't get a figure for the diesel car, but the petrol V6 managed 10.6L/100km in a combination of cruising on the autostrada (between about 80 and 130km/h) and predominantly gentler driving through small Italian towns and easier country roads.

Steering feels unnaturally light at parking speeds but can become fairly heavy at higher speeds. The CLS in both versions was easy to place on the road and the steering was direct and response to input from the driver was good. Any comment on ride comfort should await a local drive, since the Italian roads were generally very well maintained, but initial impressions suggest the ability of the CLS to soak up bumps will meet with the expectations of Aussie buyers.

The driving position felt a little cosy until the driver became acclimatised to the proximity of the switchgear and instruments. The read-outs from the instrument binnacle are quite clear to read, but bordering on busy -- once again it's something that grows easier with familiarity.

Benz described the panoramic array of instruments and controls as a 'wrap-around effect' -- and this contributes to the snug feeling. Controls worked on the same principle that Benz designers have been developing for years. It all worked well, provided you're already familiar with the modus operandi. If not, it might take a period of adjustment and scrutiny of the owner's manual.

Shift paddles provided a rapid response, but unless the transmission mode was switched to manual, the box wouldn't hold lower gears for long enough. The transmission will revert to conventional 'Drive' mode before you've reached the next corner on a road like Victoria's Great Ocean Road, to use one example.

One of the new electronic nannies aboard the CLS is 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', which basically detects the vehicle wandering out of its appointed lane and applying braking effort on one side of the car to impart drag and 'skid-steer' the car back into the lane (without the full 'skid' part).

We experienced the system at work and believe it has great application on some of Australia's longer intercapital highways. On the narrow winding roads of Tuscany, replete with bikies and cyclists, the system was arguably out of its depth. One of the Aussie media contingent steered the CLS over the centreline to overtake a cyclist, only to have the safety system steer the car back onto the correct side of the road -- on a collision course with the cyclist!

Plainly, it's a system with consequences yet to be worked out of it, but considering the number of Australian drivers dying each year in single-vehicle accidents due to fatigue, we are unequivocally in favour of it. Benz did also advise that the system can be disabled, if that's preferable.

As a final comment, opinion is split on the subject of the style of the CLS. Some regarded it as inelegant and blunt, with little to recommend it. We do not concur. The new CLS is a true design statement and far more appealing, we think, than the car it replaces.

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