2018 MERCEDES BENZ CLS Class (C257) 350 d 4MATIC 9AT AWD (286 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Mercedes-Benz brought back the faux-coupe vehicles when it introduced the CLS in 2003. In 2018, the four-door coupe reached its third generation.

The CLS was an instant hit, and soon all the major players in the Premium segment started to work on a competitor for it. BMW brought the 6-Series GT, Jaguar introduced the XF, and Audi launched the A7 Sportback. But the original was the CLS, a real trendsetter of its times. But the credit for the first four-door coupe was the 1962 Rover P5B. Fast forward to 2018, and Mercedes-Benz unveiled the third generation of the CLS.

It was designed as a coupe with long, sleek lines and a narrow front end with LED headlights. Its raked A-pillars, arched roof, and sloped C-pillars formed an unmistakable coupe look. In the rear, the carmaker included the LED taillights as standard. The purists were outraged even when the first-generation was introduced, but the customers bought it. It was like a sport-sedan but larger, more refined, and more luxurious.

Inside, it was a genuine Mercedes-Benz in terms of luxury and safety systems. There was little headroom in the back, but that was not a concern for the owner, who usually sat behind the wheel. For the 2018 model, the German carmaker offered two 12.3” displayed behind a continuous glass cover, to look like a wide-screen where the CLS showed the instruments and infotainment system.

Under the hood, the three-pointed star brand included a small engine choice between 286 hp and 367 hp. The AMG versions were treated differently.