Four-door coupe gets a makeover, with
power up to 577bhp and 0-62mph down to 4.1 sec
In both four-door Coupe and rakish-estate
Shooting Brake form, the Mercedes CLS63 AMG has long been one of the more
characterful German heavyweights. It occupied an alternative territory to its
E63 AMG stablemate or BMW’s M5; it was only really concerned with long-distance
luxury and sports car-crushing straight-line pace, leaving the E63 and M5 to
trouble themselves with such vulgar contemplations as steering feel and turn-in
agility. With more power and minor upgrades inside and out, this facelifted
version, badged CLS63 AMG S, should offer more of the same.
The styling revisions are subtle to say the
least, the most prominent of them being the new lower air intake surround that
brings the CLS in line with Mercedes’ recent all-new models. The grille has
also been revised and the rear lights have been darkened for a more sinister
appearance. The cabin is largely unchanged, save for the new tablet-style
central screen.
The
Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG S is a visual standout from every angle, inside and out
Also available is Mercedes’ pioneering
Multibeam LED lighting technology. Each headlight contains a grid of 24 diodes,
which together project a brighter and more expansive beam of light than a
conventional xenon unit. They also afford a range of driver-convenience
adaptive functions such as anti-dazzle main beam and anticipatory corner
illumination.
A consequence of that lowered roofline is
that the header rail feels unusually close and headroom rather tight. It takes
a little while to adjust to this intimacy and initially the effect can be a
touch claustrophobic, but a few miles down the road that impression does pass. This
is a high-quality and cosseting space in which to sit, a result, partly, of the
cushioned ride. There is an underlying firmness that one should expect of a
high-performance saloon or estate, but with the dampers set to their comfort
mode there is a luxurious compliance, particularly over smaller surface
imperfections.
The
dash is very busy, but it's easy to use and beautifully built
Dynamically the new CLS63 is unchanged over
the pre- facelift model, which is to say that with the dampers flicked to a
firmer setting and the stability control peeled back a little it can be hustled
at speed down a twisting stretch of road, but that sort of behaviour never
really feels in keeping with the car’s character. It’s happier and more adept
at reducing long journeys to a short hop or accelerating down a road at a rate
that would humiliate Porsche 911 drivers.
The output of the twin-turbocharged V8 has
risen for this AMG S application by 28bhp and 59lb ft, to 577bhp and 590lb ft
respectively. It would take a back-to-back comparison to really identify that
extra power and torque, but suffice to say the CLS63 still feels thumpingly
quick in roll-on terms, even from lower down the rev range. Throttle response
is fairly sharp, but it’s let down by the 7G-tronic automatic gearbox, which
feels just a tad dimwitted and outdated on its way down the gears compared to
the latest twin-clutch units.
The
V8 twin-turbo engine is breathtakingly charismatic
Traction is very good given the vast torque
on tap across the engine’s range, thanks in part to the standard- fit
limited-slip differential. The four-wheel-drive 4Matic system, which would seem
to suit the CLS63’s intended role quite well, won’t be available to UK buyers.
With even more power than before and a raft
of new technologies, such as the LED headlights and Mercedes’ ‘Connect Me’
system – which allows owners to connect to their car via their smartphone to
check fuel levels, lock the doors and so on – the CLS63 is a more complete car
than ever before. The gearbox is showing its age, but this remains one of the
most characterful super saloons/estates on sale.
