It doesn’t matter how pragmatic we think we
are, it’s the pretty things that catch our eyes – especially with cars. Which
probably accounts for Mercedes-Benz selling quite so many CLS four-door coupé’s
since its 2004 Launch. Renewed in 2011, and now facelifted for 2014, albeit
with merely minor changes to the bodywork and cabin, the big news is the
entry-level CLS 220 BlueTec diesel engine equipped with Mercedes’ new 9G-Tronic
nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The
Mercedes CLS 220 Blue Tec AMG Line is a visual standout from every angle,
inside and out
Based on the venerable, but not especially
praised, 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel that’s seen service in various
Mercedes-Benz models since 2003, this revised unit is surprisingly likeable.
Gone is the clatter and rattle at high revs, in the cabin at least, and in its
place vibration-free controls and a relatively smooth and refined top-end. Sure
it’s no six-cylinder CLS 350 Blue Tec, but the 220 is a far better match here
than it is in the C-Class. It lacks the pace of its six-cylinder brethren as
well, with a 0-62mph time that nears nine seconds, though the new gearbox does
mask this relative tardiness well. With nine speeds, the new transmission
shifts just as the 7G-Tronic unit seen previously; that is it’s smooth, quick
to change and only slightly reluctant to respond to manual inputs. It’s
certainly best left to its own devices, where the well-judged ratios make for
relaxed cruising at speed. Standard adaptive damping ensures the CLS rides as a
Mercedes-Benz should, smothering potholes even when wearing relatively large
wheels, and the experience is far from sporty. Relax and adjust your pace to
the slightly slower one of the CLS 220 Blue Tec though and all feels right with
the world.
Once
you’re inside, the CLS starts to shine as it has one of the nicest, user-friendly
cabins in its class
You’ll have to look hard for the changes
here, the most obvious being the new tablet-style screen that sits proud of the
dashboard, rather than being integrated into it. It looks a bit like an
afterthought, and on balance, we prefer the cabin of its predecessor. Otherwise
much of the interior remains the same, with only minor switchgear and detail
changes. But just like the exterior, which receives only sharper Multi Beam LED
headlights and tweaked bumper designs, there’s little point trying to fix
something that was never broken in the first place. Only the S-Class (and in
terms of impact the new C-Class) can run the cabin close for emotive design and
ambiance, with a bold dashboard shape and cocooning feeling from the driver’s
seat. Taller drivers will notice just how close their head is to the top of the
windscreen and A-pillar, however, and if you need more headroom, or suffer from
claustrophobia, the E-Class may well be the car for you instead.
The
clever LED headlights really are quite cool
As you’d hope for a car costing nearly
$82,900, all CLS’s are well-equipped from the off, with all versions featuring
18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive damping, LED headlights, leather seats, DAB
digital radio, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and satellite navigation as
standard. Even better news with the CLS 220 Blue Tec model is that it promises
to be relatively cheap to run as well, thanks to real-world economy past 50mpg
and low CO2 emissions which translate into reasonable road or company car tax.
Previously, it would have been hard to recommend a four-cylinder CLS, but with
the 2014 update, that all changes.
