GRANDE FINALE - Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CDI Grand Edition (From Free Press Series)

GRANDE FINALE - Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CDI Grand Edition

3:30pm Friday 25th June 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

IT’S HARD to think of a better car than the CLS when planning a limited edition model. Mercedes has enjoyed a surprising amount of success with its saloon that looks like a coupe.

If Mercedes bosses were honest, they would be the first to admit that the car’s success was anything but a surprise. Deep down they knew they had a winner on their hands. Experts at conjuring up new market sectors out of thin air - long wheelbase A-Class (B-Class), R-Class activity wagon, C-Class hatchback (CLK), GL-Class posh utility 4x4 - the CLS concept of a more streamlined four-door executive saloon bordered on genius.

And you know when you’ve got something right because the competition falls over itself to copy you, witness Volkswagen’s Passat CC and Audi’s forthcoming A7.

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to know that a new CLS is not far away, but in the spirit of decadent motoring led by the CLS, Mercedes has developed a limited edition model complete with extra kit and subtle visual enhancements.

This Grand Edition is just that - grand. It might not be the fire-breathing AMG performance model but it’s special for being both sensible and desirable. Under the car’s long bonnet is an uprated version of the company’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel. In this guise the engine produces a healthy 272 horsepower, a figure that will propel this handsome machine to 62mph in a petrol-like 6.5 seconds.

The no compromise approach to motoring continues with the car’s equipment list. While the CLS was never under equipped, the Grand Edition adds some welcome extra kit to justify its name and asking price.

It might not go like an AMG variant but this CLS looks almost as good as one, given this it rides on 18-inch AMG-branded alloy wheels. Floor mats with ‘Grand Edition’ branding plus front grille and headlamp detailing in are the final, subtle finishing touches.

The plush treatment continues inside, although the likes of sat-nav, the powerful audio unit, the leather upholstery and the car’s signature wood trimmed central fascia panel are shared with the rest of the line-up. Still, even in standard, non Grand Edition guise the CLS makes you feel special the moment you sink down into its supportive seats.

Even if much of the Grand Edition is closely related to the rest of the family, there’s no question that the limited-run car’s touches make the already striking CLS even better. It might boast humble E-Class underpinnings but the face it presents to the world couldn’t be more different. And all credit to Mercedes for exercising restraint on the styling add-on front.

Along with the subtle exterior tweaks you might think a few extra horsepower is barely worth writing home about. The diesel V6 engine’s mild performance lift translates into something more meaningful in the real world. Never a slouch in its original state of tune, with its revised 350 CDI designation this CLS proves to be more capable than its boulevard cruiser appearance suggests.

Despite its sensible character, the previous generation E-Class was a pretty nimble machine in the right hands. With the same technology underpinning the CLS, Mercedes’ ‘fastback’ saloon can be hustled along at a pretty brisk pace. The combination of the gutsy diesel engine, a slick-shifting auto gearbox and the firm but comfortable ride combine do much to impress. Predictably the car is most at home on the motorway or, even better, an autobahn, but neither busy city streets nor undulating A-roads are capable of flustering the CLS.

Not that your passengers will ever notice. Even with the car’s dramatic sloping roofline there’s enough space for two adults in the back. A strict four-seater thanks to the dominant and rather decadently trimmed centre console, the intimate nature of the cabin does much to enhance its bespoke, limited edition feel.

Although already a hugely desirable car even by premium executive standards, the CLS Grand Edition turns the desirability dial up a notch with its smart alloy wheels, subtle exterior enhancements and small but useful power upgrade. Even the cynics will have to agree that, for a niche model, the CLS has become awfully popular.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 CDI Grand Edition, from £51,075 on the road Engine: 3.0-litre turbo diesel unit developing 272bhp Transmission: 7-speed automatic transmission as standard, driving the rear wheels Performance: Maximum speed 155mph, 0-62mph 6.5 seconds Economy: 34.9mpg CO2 Rating: 215g/km

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)