2008 MERCEDES BENZ CLS-Klasse (C219) 280 7AT RWD (224 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Mercedes-Benz brought back to life the four-door coupe vehicle styling in 2005 when it launched the first generation of the CLS, a model which was facelifted in 2008.

The four-door coupe was a name given by Mercedes-Benz to its CLS, but the body style was not new. The 1962 Rover P5 Mark II is considered to be the first four-door coupe. But it was the same with the hamburgers, which were not invented by Americans. They came from Hamburg, which is in Germany. But the definition worked and evoked a car with doors in the back, but with a sloped roof and a coupe-like shape.

Back in 2008, the CLS was upgraded. When it launched the car, the German car-maker did a leap of faith, not knowing if the car will have success or not. The sloped back seriously cut the headroom for the rear passengers. For the 2010 model, the car received new headlights and a new grille. A new set of LED turn-signals were installed in the door mirrors. The taillights were fitted with LEDs as well, and a dynamic light mode was created for the rear turn signals. The rear bumper was bigger and it was lowered to the center.

Inside, the car featured a new three-spoke steering wheel and a new 2.5-NTG telematics system. There were another two infotainment systems available, one with a 5” monitor and another one with a 6.5” respectively. A Linguatronic, voice-command system was added for the latter.

The 2008 model had to receive new engines and the entry-level was named 280 and it was a new, 3.0-liter V6 engine that offered 231 hp. All models were fitted as standard with the new, 7-speed, automatic gearbox.