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Exclusive Innovation in the Interior: Wooden Luggage Compartment Floor
The second generation of the CLS set high standards in terms of the design and
quality of the interior: straightforward elegance combined with innovative
details and handcrafted perfection. The Shooting Brake also applies this same
aspiration in the luggage compartment. It is lined with high-quality carpet, and
the hand-stitched material is also incorporated into the sideliners in
conjunction with leather appointments. Optional designer loading rails made of
aluminum give an even more exclusive look.
An extravagant and unique feature for the automotive industry is the designo
wooden luggage compartment floor, which serves to underscore the hand-finished
nature of the interior. Cherry tree wood is a classic among fine wood species
and contrasts perfectly with the inlaid smoked oak and aluminum rails. This
affords the luggage compartment a touch of elegance normally found on yachts,
combined with the exciting worlds of technology and precision craftsmanship. The
wood is characterized by its flexibility and elasticity, as well as its density
and fine texture. For the luggage compartment floor made
of American cherry tree wood, selected veneer sheets are glued and pressed
together by hand in five cross-bonded layers to achieve high dimensional
stability. The blanks are milled into their precise shape using a CNC machine,
and the surfaces sanded to a smooth finish and waterproofed to maintain the
natural beauty of the wood. Inlaid work using darker smoked oak, precisely cut
into three millimetre strips using laser technology, helps to enhance the design
of the wooden floor. The lavishly produced aluminum rails have a brushed finish
and rubber inserts, and not only help to protect the wooden floor but also
feature anti-slip properties.
The CLS coupé already set new standards in interiors with its wide variety of
individualization options. The Shooting Brake also offers five interior colors,
five trim designs and also three qualities of leather to choose from. Customers
have a choice of three exclusive wood types: high-gloss brown burr walnut,
high-gloss black ash and satin-finish light-brown poplar. The interior is given
an even more progressive look with the addition of piano lacquer or AMG carbon
fiber/black piano lacquer trim elements. A completely new addition comes in the
form of porcelain interior appointments which afford both CLS models a sense of
luxury normally found in the S-Class. The CLS Shooting Brake also lives up to
its role as a design icon thanks to the innovative nature of the materials used.
These comprise a mixture of satin and high-gloss finishes used on the metal
surfaces.
Drive System: Powerful and Efficient
The CLS Shooting Brake is available with four different engine variants - two
diesel engines and two petrol engines. Features common to all engines include
the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission as well as the ECO start/stop
function. In addition, two models are available with all-wheel drive: the CLS
350 CDI 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY and the CLS 500 4MATIC BlueEFFICIENCY.
The entry-level model is the CLS 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY producing 150 kW (204
hp). Combined fuel consumption is 5.3 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers, an
excellent level for this performance class and equivalent to CO2 emissions of
139 grams per kilometer. Coming in above this are the two six-cylinder models:
the CLS 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY producing 195 kW (265 hp) and the CLS 350
BlueEFFICIENCY producing 225 kW (306 hp). The top-of-the-range model is the CLS
500 BlueEFFICIENCY with a V8 biturbo engine producing 300 kW (408 hp).
Efficiency is also increased by the standard electro-mechanical power steering
EPS (Electric Power Steering). EPS is a radical move in the relationship between
the driver, car and road surface. This is because for the first time, it gives
engineers the freedom to choose and program many of the parameters that
influence steering feedback. So they defined a Mercedes-Benz feeling behind the
wheel. In addition to fuel economy, the result is a considerable improvement in
handling and agility. The electromechanical power steering also enables another
innovation to be implemented - Active Park Assist. The CLS Shooting Brake is not
only able to detect parking spaces, but can also park automatically.
Lightweight Construction and Aerodynamics
Intelligent lightweight construction plays a decisive role in bridging the
classic conflict between the objectives of low weight and high strength in the
CLS Shooting Brake. The model features frameless, all-aluminum doors made from
deep-drawn aluminum panels with extruded sections, and in comparison with
conventional steel doors, are some 24 kilograms lighter. The tailgate, bonnet,
front wings, various support profiles and substantial parts of the suspension
and engines are all made of aluminum too.
The aerodynamics also make a significant contribution to the efficiency of the
Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. With a frontal area of 2.30 m2 and a Cd value
of 0.29, the drag area is 0.67 m2.
Dynamic Full LED Headlamps
The CLS was the first passenger car in the world to offer optional dynamic full
LED High Performance headlamps, which combine the exciting color elements of LED
technology - similar to those of daytime driving lights - with the performance,
functionality and energy efficiency of today's bi-xenon generation. Some 95
percent of all customers have opted for these lights in the CLS Coupé. Of
course, as the world's second car to feature this optional extra, the CLS
Shooting Brake also offers the new light system. For the first time ever, it
provides the Intelligent Light System already proven in Mercedes models fitted
with bi-xenon headlamps in combination with LED technology. The headlamps, with
their 71 LED lamps in total, look exciting; and they serve to underline the
unmistakable appearance of the CLS. The light specialists from Mercedes-Benz
have for the first time been able to use LED technology in the innovative
Adaptive Highbeam Assist, resulting in an entirely new quality of illumination
when driving at night.
In contrast to the first vehicles equipped with LED headlamps, no compromises
are now necessary with respect to the functionality and performance of the
lighting technology. There are further arguments for LED-based lighting
technology: the average operating life of an LED is around 10,000 hours, around
five times longer than that of a xenon light; moreover, LED headlamps most
closely approximate to the color of daylight. This means that LED light is in
keeping with the normal human perception patterns and that the driver
experiences significantly more brightness on the road at night. Studies have
shown that the closer the color of artificial light comes to daylight, the less
the strain on the eyes. With a color temperature of 5500 kelvin, LED light is
closer to daylight (6500 K) than xenon light (4200 K).
More than a dozen driving assistance systems help to prevent traffic accidents
and reduce the severity of an accident. Active Blind Spot Assist and Active Lane
Keeping Assist are available as part of the Driving Assistance package Plus, in
combination with DISTRONIC PLUS, BAS PLUS and the PRE-SAFE Brake. Both
assistance systems are not only able to detect an unintentional lane change or
vehicles in the blind spot, but can also correct the direction of travel by
gentle brake intervention if the driver ignores the visual or audible danger
warnings.
The Origins of the Name "Shooting Break"
Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to
"break" in wild horses and also to restrict (or "brake") their urge to move, so
that they could be put to use as work horses. Since the carts could easily be
broken as part of this process, people tended not to use ones which they may
have urgently needed for other purposes. Where necessary, "Brakes" were often
fitted out with variable bodies, which were only really used to carry along
anything that may have been necessary for the hunt, for example. Any such
vehicle which was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or
Shooting Break. Motorized Shooting Brakes were popular in England in the 60s and
70s - exclusive two-door sports cars, which combined the luxury and style of a
coupé with a larger load compartment and large tailgate.
Mercedes-Benz CLS 500 Shooting Brake: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications