Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class CLS350 7G-Tronic Review: The second coming

What we like:

Dramatic and attention grabbing styling

refinement

excellent ride

more interior space than before

What we dislike:

Some might say it is overstyled

can do with even more performance

Open up the CLS’ frameless doors and you’ll discover one of Mercedes’ most attractive and luxurious interiors in recent memory. Up front, the driver is greeted by an attractive looking and well sized three-spoke steering wheel, hooded instruments with a colour LCD screen for the multi-function display while the COMAND screen is placed high up in the middle. The front seats offer a myriad of electrical adjustments and are extremely comfortable and supportive at the same time. Like the E-Class saloon, there’s no conventional gear lever on the centre console – gears are selected by a stalk mounted on the steering column. The view out of the driver’s seat is excellent thanks to reasonably sized A-pillars.

The new CLS’ rear legroom is even better than in the old model but more impressively, headroom has significantly improved. In the old car, most rear passengers will have to bend their body quite a bit to enter the rear without their heads touching the roof or rear pillar – you’ll still need to bend your body a tad to enter the rear in the new car but the process isn’t as acrobatic as it was in the old model which makes both ingress and egress more of a breeze than previously. Like the old model, the CLS is strictly a four-seater without an option for a five-seater rear bench.

The boot is well shaped and generously sized. For added convenience, there’s a separate tray that slides out underneath the parcel shelf to store odds and ends.

Safety is high on the new model’s agenda. It comes with safety aids like ATTENTION ASSIST, Brake Assist, ESP, PRE-SAFE, a plethora of airbags and so on. Luxury niceties standard on the CLS350 include cruise control, sat nav, KEYLESS GO keyless operation, LED daytime running lights, sunroof, 18-inch alloys, electrical adjustments for the front seats, Bluetooth connectivity, electrically operated rear sunblinds and so on.

Mercedes has to be applauded for taking the leap of faith and carve a new niche with the unique CLS seven years ago. This new CLS is more of the same - extremely stylish and a premium car with wide variety of talents and substance. Problem is, it is no longer in a class of its own these days thanks to rivals like the Audi A7 Sportback and the impending BMW 6 Series GranCoupe.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by Yang and Raymond Lai