In 2003 the four-door Coupé was born: and the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class immediately established itself as a new style icon. The typical Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class outline, with its elegantly long proportions, is the dominating attribute of the new model.
The starting point for this extra space was the vehicle body, which is 29 millimetres longer, 13 millimetres higher and 8 millimetres wider than its predecessor. Both steering wheel options have 12 multifunction keys to control the infotainment functions.
A three-dimensional image of the vehicle appears when getting into or out of the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class.
The second-generation Mercedes CLS can be optionally fitted with an automatic climate control system which not only allows individual temperatures to be set for three zones - for the driver, the front passenger and the rear passengers - but additionally offers special climate modes. The standard system fitted in the CLS is the two-zone THERMATIC automatic climate control.
Four different front seat types are available to choose from:
The standard seat itself meets the highest ergonomic standards. The front seats can be adjusted electrically as standard. The active multicontour seat offers the same comfort functions and additionally has high-speed piezo valves in the air chambers which adjust the charging pressure and volume of the air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat backs, depending on the steering angle, lateral acceleration and vehicle speed, to provide both the driver and front seat passenger with even greater support. It also has the high-comfort head restraint and, additionally, a massage function.
• Climate comfort is further enhanced by the optionally available active climatised front seats, which are available as an optional extra.
For the first time Mercedes-Benz is offering the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class with ISOFIX, the international standard securing system for child seats. The AUDIO 50 APS infotainment system is an all-in-one device featuring a combination of car radio, DVD player and Europe-wide navigation system with two-dimensional map display. The radio functions and the options for linking with other systems are the same as for the Audio 20 system. Mercedes-Benz combines COMAND APS with the voice-operated control system LINGUATRONIC and a so-called text-to-speech function as standard.
Mercedes customers can, if desired, combine the infotainment facilities for the CLS with other systems:
Individuality is written large in the new Mercedes CLS. Countless optional extras make it possible to individualise one's Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class further - including opting for active multicontour seats, LED High Performance headlamps, Keyless Go and the harman/kardon sound system, as well as many support systems including the new Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist with brake actuation (for more information on the latter, please refer to the section "Active Safety").
The AMG Sports package comprises a multifunction sports steering wheel in nappa leather in the 3-spoke design, with flattened bottom section, aluminium pedals, AMG bumpers to the front (with single-louvred grille) and rear, AMG alloy wheels in size 18 or 19, AMG floor mats, visible tailpipes, and in the interior, in combination with black leather seats, light-coloured felled seams on the seats, headrests and armrests. The CLS is thus the first vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to have frameless, all-aluminium doors.
About 72 percent of all panels used for the bodyshell of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class are made from rigid and ultra-rigid steel alloys.
Compared to the previous model series, the Mercedes engineers have further enlarged the deformation zones substantially in the front and rear sections of the new CLS, as well as improving the energy flows.
Sectional panelsabove the wheel arches form the upper side-member level. The crossmember and the forward-extended side members form the central impact zone.
In order to provide specifically targeted front-wheel support and location, Mercedes-Benz has also developed special struts and additional energy-absorbing elements for the wheel arches.
At the rear, the floor side members extend as far as the crossmember beneath the rear seat unit to stabilise the entire floor structure.
As part of this, a variety of systems designed to reduce the burden on the driver even further will be making their debut in the new CLS. These include Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist as well as LED High Performance headlamps offering various light functions.
The new light system features the Intelligent Light System which has already been tried and tested in Mercedes-Benz models with bi-xenon headlamps. Its five light functions - country mode, motorway mode, enhanced fog lamps, active light function and cornering light function - have been specifically designed for typical driving or weather conditions.
The basic principle behind Adaptive Highbeam Assist is as follows: if the system detects an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle in front with its lights on, the system dims the headlamps and continually adjusts the headlamp range in such a way that the cone-shaped beam of headlamp light does not reach these vehicles.
In the new Mercedes CLS, for example, proven technologies like ABS, ESP®and Brake Assist work alongside a dozen assistance systems to help prevent accidents and reduce their impact. By applying braking force to the wheels on the opposite side of the vehicle, a yaw movement is created which counteracts the collision course.
This system kicks into action if the Mercedes vehicle inadvertently drifts over a solid line to the right or left of a lane. In such a case, a warning sign in the instrument cluster and vibration of the steering wheel give the driver warning.
You can read more about these two assist systems in the section "Under the Microscope: Assist Systems".
Active Parking Assist will answer the prayers of many drivers in the chronically congested traffic areas of Europe: the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class can not only detect parking spaces, but also help with the parking itself.
This convenience system features the following functions:
Parking spaces are measured using two enhanced ultrasonic sensors integrated into the right and left sides of the front bumper. By default the arrow indicates parking spaces on the front-passenger side. If the turn indicator is set to the driver's side, parking spaces on the driver's side will be displayed. If the ultrasonic sensors detect a pavement then the vehicle is parked parallel to this.
The driver continues to control the accelerator and brake pedals whilst manoeuvring into the parking space. The Active Parking Assist takes over lateral guidance by controlling the electric steering in accordance with the longitudinal dynamics specified by the driver and the parking course.
The system switches off as soon as the driver intervenes in the automatic steering control process, switches off the system via the PTS (Parktronic Sensor) button, both the driver's seat belt buckle is released and the driver's door opened, or a system error occurs.
The entire PARKTRONIC and Active Parking Assist system comprises the following components:
Control unit
With ATTENTION ASSIST, fitted as standard in the new CLS, Mercedes-Benz is therefore making another important contribution towards helping to avoid accidents: it employs high-resolution sensors to observe driver behaviour and can recognise whether the driver is tired or not paying attention, based primarily on steering wheel movements.
The ATTENTION ASSIST system developed by Mercedes-Benz measures more than 70 parameters which are analysed to detect fatigue.
The radar-based DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control supports the driver at speeds between zero and 200 km/h by automatically adjusting the distance to the vehicles in front. If the system detects that the distance is being reduced too quickly, it warns the driver with both visual and audible signals.
ADAPTIVE BRAKE: this Mercedes-Benz brake system offers assistance functions for greater safety and comfort, such as a HOLD function when waiting at traffic lights, and Hill-Start Assist which can help prevent rolling backwards when moving off on a slope.
Brake Assist PLUS: this system is able to recognise an impending rear-end collision using radar sensors. Headlamp Assist: a sensor on the windscreen detects the lighting conditions. PARKTRONIC: ultrasonic sensors assist the driver when parking.
• PRE-SAFE® Brake: autonomous braking if acute danger of an accident is detected. If the driver does not react to this, the system brakes the vehicle autonomously.
If the driver still fails to react, the PRE-SAFE® Brake activates the maximum braking power around 0.6 seconds before the now unavoidable collision - this emergency braking can greatly reduce the severity of the impact. The system therefore acts like an "electronic crumple zone", offering the car occupants even greater protection.
Drivers of Mercedes vehicles are safer on the road than drivers of other car brands. The result represents clear evidence of the contribution made by the passive safety systems of Mercedes-Benz to reducing the consequences of an accident.
With nine airbags fitted as standard, not to mention four seat-belt tensioners and belt-force limiters as well as NECK-PRO crash-responsive head restraints for the driver and front passenger, the new CLS offers an even more extensive package of safety equipment than the previous model.
Three-point automatic safety belts with belt tensioners and belt force limiters are fitted as standard for the driver, front passenger and rear passengers. Mercedes-Benz is offering adaptive belt force limiters for the rear seats as an option.
The system detects whether the rear seat passenger is large or small as soon as the seat belt is put on, based on the length of the pulled-out seat belt, and can adapt its protective effect accordingly. For the first time Mercedes-Benz is offering the CLS with ISOFIX, the international standard securing system for child seats.
In 2002 Mercedes-Benz became the first automotive brand to offer an anticipatory occupant protection system which can initiate measures to protect the occupants of the vehicle if there is an imminent risk of an accident: PRE-SAFE®.
The occupants are prepared for the collision by tensioning of the seat belts and repositioning of the front-passenger seat (if the seat memory function is installed) - which is also optionally available with fully electric seat adjustment - enabling the seat belts and airbags to offer the best possible protection.
The active multicontour seat (optional extra), ensures that the driver and front passenger are seated even more securely, thereby limiting dangerous whiplash movements by the upper body in the event of an accident. If the PRE-SAFE® control unit detects a critical driving situation, it immediately activates the air chambers in the seat cushions and backrests. PRE-SAFE® when braking in an emergency
Efficiency at the highest level: this is the common characteristic shared by all four engines used in the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class.
All of the engines feature increased performance and torque compared with previous models, while at the same time boasting significantly reduced consumption and CO2 emission levels. The CLS will also become available then with 4MATIC all-wheel drive for the first time.
Like the petrol models in the CLS range, the CLS 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is fitted with this system as standard.
The key data of the CLS 350 BlueEFFICIENCY include: 225 kW/306 hp (plus 10 kW), 370 Nm (plus 5 Nm), fuel consumption of 6.8 litres per 100 km (minus 2.3 litres).
Extended lean-burn operation, lean-burn system with load monitoring from pressure information, new combustion system operating modes
Enhanced cooling circuit control and optimisation
Enhanced oil circuit control and optimisation
Increased output and torque
In the case of the CLS 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, CLS 350 BlueEFFICIENCY and CLS 500 BlueEFFICIENCY models, the ECO start/stop system is fitted as standard.
The Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class will also be available with 4MATIC all-wheel drive for the first time in the autumn of 2011.
In the new steering system the steering gear and the supporting servo-motor form a single compact unit and are mounted as previously on an extremely rigid and low-weight integral support frame made of high-strength steel which is positioned in front of the wheel's centre line.
As previously, the steering gear is designed as a direct-steer system, which means that the steering ratio becomes noticeably more direct over the steering angle. This enhances the vehicle's handling and agility substantially.
In combination with the sensors and the control unit the new steering system allows substantially greater degrees of freedom in configuring the forces which the driver is required to apply at the steering wheel in different driving situations - from parking to fast motorway driving. Active damping enhances the feeling of safety when driving straight ahead at high speed.
The new steering system has also enabled implementation of the "Active Park Assist" automatic parking function (see section "Active safety") and relieves the strain on the driver on road surfaces which slope away towards the kerb.
The new steering system also assists with braking on a surface with vastly varying grip (split friction surface). The new CLS Coupé comes with a mechanically length- and height-adjustable steering column as standard.
The standard steel suspension of the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is equipped with a selective damping system. The front axle stabiliser is connected to the spring strut, which also assists actively in controlling the front wheels.
The optionally available AIRMATIC air suspension (standard for the CLS 500 BlueEFFICIENCY) is combined with an electronically controlled continuously variable damping system which controls each wheel individually.
A total of seven sensors monitor the driving situation and body status and relay information to an electronic control unit which additionally processes information on vehicle speed, steering wheel angle, braking torque and engine torque to determine the ideal shock absorber characteristic.
The system adjusts the damping force for each wheel individually according to the given road or driving conditions. The extremely fast damping adjustment enables high driving dynamics without compromising on comfort. Automatic ride-height control is a feature of the AIRMATIC system.
Lowering of the ride height at higher speeds reduces fuel consumption and enhances driving safety. The aerodynamic lift has been reduced considerably in comparison to the predecessor model, further enhancing braking stability at high speeds. The front-axle lift coefficient, which is crucial to driving stability at high vehicle speeds, is on a par with that of the previous Mercedes CLS.
With the ADAPTIVE BRAKE, the new CLS offers an innovative braking system incorporating additional assistance functions for even greater comfort and safety.
The car is then held by the brakes, even if the driver's foot comes off the brake pedal. If the driver's foot moves abruptly from the accelerator to the brake pedal before an emergency stop, the brake system increases the pressure in the brake lines and brings the pads into contact with the brake discs so that maximum braking power is available as soon as the driver hits the brake pedal. This priming of the brakes allows the system to assist the standard-fit Brake Assist system.
The brake system helps to reduce the unsprung masses through the use of floating (four- and six-cylinder models) or fixed front callipers with housings in aluminium or aluminium composite design and rear floating callipers with aluminium housings. Large front and rear brake discs provide an ideal technical basis for ensuring safe and reliable deceleration in any driving situation. The front and rear discs measure up to 360 millimetres and 320 millimetres in diameter respectively, depending on the engine version.
The four- and six-cylinder variants of the CLS feature 17-inch wheels fitted with 245/45 R 17 tyres as standard. The 19-inch wheels which are available for the first time lend the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class an even sportier appearance.
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