It stands true for the interior as well. Generous use of high-quality wood, soft-feel cowhide, intricate stitching, rich brushed aluminium trimmings, smart and ample storage spaces, seven-inch infotainment screen, a sweet little clock, smart centre console, sunroof and, most importantly, high quality fit-and-finish of materials used exude class. It has all the luxuries that you would expect of it plus a few more that you would discover when you settle in the comfortable rear seats.
Space-wise the CLS is pretty well sorted, its rear knee-room is quite good and under-thigh support is ample too. Boot is big and deep, meaning hauling bags for a long weekend will not be an issue at all. Sporty, rich exterior and classy interior are not the only things that make the CLS a brilliant family coupé.
My favourite bit of the whole package is what sits under the bonnet. A naturally aspirated 3.0-litre engine with six cylinders in a Vee configuration. Add some petrol and air mixture to it and it gives birth to 306 horses while also producing a turning force of 370 Nm. A smooth shifting seven-speed automatic transmission with flappy paddles delivers the power and torque to the rear wheels.
This 3.0-litre V6 is impressive. It is very quiet too. At idle I had to silence everything around just to hear a faint sound. However, when I nailed the throttle, it produced a sweet but sedated purr that forced me to keep my right foot busy just to hear it a bit longer. I was also impressed by the bottom and mid-range power, which the CLS has in ample measure. Plus, the ‘eco’ mode ensured that the tranny stays in the optimal gear for better fuel efficiency.
Performance-wise the CLS does not disappoint. 0-100 km/h sprint was completed in just 7.6 seconds; 40-120 km/h in kick-down took just 8.34 seconds. Top speed achieved was 200 km/h. Mercedes-Benz claim that the CLS can easily do 250 km/h. All of this from a car that weighs 1.7 tonnes. Good stuff.
