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The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 also lives up to its role as a design icon thanks to the innovative nature of the materials used. These comprise an exciting mixture of satin and high-gloss finishes used on the metal surfaces. Highlights here also include matte galvanized air vents, for example, which form the ideal framework for a high-glosstrimmed analogue clock.

Handcrafted perfection is reflected in details such as the stitched seat covers or the sewn covering for the dashboard. The leather dashboard parts are sewn together by hand in a process which takes several hours, after which they are fitted and upholstered with high-quality foam. Prior to this process, the leather is also heated to preshrink it, so that it will retain its shape even after extreme exposure to direct sunlight.

The trunk has a capacity of 15.31 cu. ft. and, for the first time in the Mercedes-Benz CLS, comes with split-folding rear seats with a 1/3:2/3 proportion. Up to 19 different places to store and secure objects throughout the car make it quick and easy to accommodate smaller objects.

Stylish cockpit with three round dials and two color displays In addition to the "wrap-around effect" of the instrument panel, the new 3-spoke premium leather multifunction steering wheel is especially eye-catching. The steering wheel is available in black or almond beige; a wood-and-leather finish is also available as an optional extra. The optional Sport Packages includes an especially sporty flat-bottomed steering wheel. Both steering wheel options have 12 multifunction keys to control the infotainment functions.

The highlight of the exclusive Mercedes-Benz CLS instrumentation is the all-color, three-dimensional TFT display in the middle of the speedometer, measuring 4.3 inches in diameter. The mileage and trip odometer appear in the lower area of the display while the upper portion displays, among other things, information from the driver assistance systems. A three-dimensional image of the vehicle appears when entering or exiting the CLS.

The "refined sportiness" philosophy also applies to the seats, as they combine the ultimate in seating comfort with sporty lateral support. The optional Drive Dynamic multicontour driver's seat 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 the driver with even greater support. It also has comfort head restraints and a massage function.

BlueDIRECT V8 Twin-Turbo Engine

Christened BlueDIRECT, this innovation is helping to establish the V-engines of Mercedes-Benz as the world benchmarks, enabling a further reduction of 20 percent in fuel consumption to be achieved solely through in-engine measures. The key data of the 2012 CLS550 include: 402 hp (up 20 hp) and 443 lb-ft of torque (up 52 lb-ft).

Direct gasoline injection with spray-guided combustion, which Mercedes-Benz was the first car manufacturer to introduce in series production, has been developed further by the engineers into third-generation direct gasoline injection with spray-guided combustion.

The new V8 engine in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 features bi-turbocharging for the first time, previously only seen in the 12-cylinder engine used in the S-Class. It too has direct injection but was designed for countries without sulphur-free fuel and is therefore run in a homogenous mode through the engine's entire characteristic map. Despite a significantly smaller displacement (4633 cc; previously 5461 cc), the eight-cylinder engine made considerable gains in terms of output and torque. At the same time consumption has been significantly reduced. It is expected to achieve a saving in the region of 25 percent.

7G-TRONIC PLUS Automatic Transmission

All Mercedes-Benz CLS models come with the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission as standard, for which the torque converter and main transmission have been developed and improved further with regard to fuel consumption and comfort.

The new generation of the torque converter provides an improved dynamic response, better durability and reduced noise and vibration levels thanks to a new hydraulic circuit, as well as enhanced dampers and torque converter housing. The extreme wheel-slip reduction of the torque converter housing, combined with larger mechanical damper de-coupling, helps to reduce consumption significantly. In addition, the gearshift program in ECO mode has been changed in favor of lower engine rpm at cruising speeds.

Satellite Radio, CD Player and Bluetooth Interface as Standard

No customer today wants to miss out on the news, the telephone, route guidance or their favorite music when in the car. For this reason Mercedes-Benz has equipped the 2012 CLS-Class with state-of-the-art infotainment facilities, which stand out for their high performance capability, but above all for their ease of use.

The system includes speed-sensitive volume control, a keypad for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies, a color display in the center of the dashboard, and a Bluetooth interface to connect a mobile phone to the hands-free system wirelessly.

The COMAND multimedia system developed by Mercedes-Benz includes a DVD player for audio and video as well as a country-wide navigation system with data stored on a 40-gigabyte hard drive, allowing extremely fast access to the navigation data and, compared to DVD-based navigation, even faster route calculations. The high-resolution map appears on the 7-inch color display in the center of the instrument panel and excels in providing useful additional information. For example, the map shows the outlines of prominent buildings along the route to aid orientation.

Stable Bodywork Structure and a High Degree of Rigidity

Intelligent lightweight construction plays a decisive role in bridging the classic trade-off between low weight and high strength in the new CLS. The CLS is thus the first vehicle from Mercedes-Benz to have frameless, all-aluminum doors. These are made from deep-drawn aluminum panels with extruded sections, and in comparison with conventional steel doors, are some 52 pounds lighter. This is not only beneficial to the environment but also eases the opening and closing of the doors, especially on an incline.

Apart from the doors, the hood, front fenders, trunk lid, parcel shelf, various support profiles and substantial parts of the suspension and engines are all made of aluminum. The front end is a hybrid construction made of aluminum panels and plastic strengthened with fiber-glass. The one-piece aluminum crash boxes in the front area are fitted in the side members and are screwed into the side. The large front bumper with the integrated grille and centered star is made of polypropylene. As supporting structure for the bumper there is a front end which is a hybrid construction of aluminum sheet and plastic strengthened with fiber glass. For every Mercedes-Benz CLS, special adjustable fixtures are used to ensure the front fits exactly and the gap dimensions are the same all around.

The passenger cell of the new CLS has been shown to be a structure which is virtually immune to deformation and which keeps the occupant space intact, even at high impact speeds, regardless of whether the collision is head-on, from the rear or from the side, or whether the vehicle rolls over. The use of high-strength steel and thicker panels plays as important a role here as the installation of additional load-bearing members.

Less Drag and Substantially Quieter

Aerodynamics is a key factor to the outstanding efficiency of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS. Although the new model is wider than its predecessor with a larger frontal area, drag has been reduced by up to ten percent. As a result of finely tuned refinements to the body, the Cd value - which defines the drag coefficient - has been reduced by 13%, to 0.26. Other aerodynamic development has been on reducing wind noise and keeping all surfaces which contribute to visibility free of debris - a key element of active safety.

Wind noise: a highly refined driving experience even at high speeds In order to improve comfort and in the interests of a more refined driving experience at high speeds in particular, the aerodynamics and body experts have tweaked a number of details to attain a further reduction in the noise level in comparison to the previous generation.

LED High Performance Active headlamps, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Parking Assist

Avoiding accidents and reducing the consequences of accidents: this is the comprehensive approach adopted by Mercedes-Benz in its safety research and referred to collectively by the company as "Real Life Safety". 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 active headlamps offering various light functions. The new features represent a further improvement of "driver-fitness safety" by the company's engineers. In addition to ride and seating comfort and also quiet running, a significant role is also played by the headlamp and windshield wiper systems, for example, as well as the easy, safe operation of the vehicle. On top of this there are also the PRE-SAFE systems which can warn, support and protect the driver when a real risk of an accident has been detected.

The 2012 CLS is the first car in the world to feature optional LED High Performance active headlamps (part of the Premium 1 package), which combine the sharp daylight color impression of LED technology with the performance, functionality and energy efficiency of today's bi-xenon light generation.

One new feature is the Active Blind Spot Assist which warns the driver when a risk of collision is detected when changing lanes. If the driver ignores the warning and begins to change lanes, the Active Blind Spot Assist intervenes. By applying braking force to the rear wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle, a yaw movement is created which counteracts the collision course.

Active Lane Keeping Assist is now also linked to the ESP for the first time. This system kicks into action if the Mercedes vehicle inadvertently drifts over a solid line to the right or left of a lane.

Active Parking Assist will answer the prayers of many drivers in chronically congested traffic areas: the CLS can not only detect parking spaces, but also help with the parking itself. This is made possible thanks to a combination of the new electromechanical direct steering and a series of ultrasonic sensors.

Twelve Airbags as Standard

With twelve airbags fitted as standard, not to mention four seat-belt tensioners and belt-force limiters as well as NECKPRO 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. The airbags, which can deploy in a matter of milliseconds in the event of an accident, include two adaptive airbags for the driver and front passenger, a kneebag for the driver and passenger, two sidebags in the front-seat backrests and two large windowbags which extend from the A-pillar to the C-pillar during a side impact.

The Suspension

Supreme driving dynamics coupled with superlative ride comfort on long journeys were the goals in developing the chassis for the new CLS, whose design and functions are geared towards a stylish sportiness. To this end the chassis has undergone a thorough revamp, adding a new central component: electromechanical power steering - a world first in the premium vehicle segment. This pioneering innovation offers the engineers broad scope of new tuning options and will be introduced in a large number of Mercedes-Benz models in the coming
years. In addition, this steering technology also makes an important contribution to the overall efficiency of the CLS: the steering assist function only requires energy when steering actually takes place, cutting fuel consumption.

As on the E-Class, the front suspension takes the form of a 3-link front axle with McPherson struts, which has been specially modified for the 2012 CLS. The key feature of this modified suspension is two individual links (pulling strut and cross strut) in the lower link plane which are positioned at a steeper angle than on the E-Class, thus raising the roll center to 3.5 inches.

The principle of the lightweight independent multi-link rear suspension mounted on a subframe has been adopted on the CLS from the new E-Class, on account of its unparalleled wheel control qualities. All components have been modified in comparison to the suspension's predecessor, for enhanced comfort and added driving dynamics. The new suspension has been designed specifically as a lightweight construction.

Air Suspension

The standard AIRMATIC air suspension is combined with an electronically controlled continuously variable damping system which controls each wheel individually. A total of seven sensors monitor the driving conditions 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 response. The system adjusts the damping force for each wheel individually according to the given road or driving
conditions.

Automatic ride-height control is a feature of the AIRMATIC system. The level of the vehicle will not change due to loading, ensuring that outstanding ride comfort is maintained when the vehicle is loaded. Lowering of the ride height at higher speeds reduces fuel consumption and enhances driving safety. The driver is additionally able to increase ground clearance on rough roads or on difficult upward slopes by pressing the level adjustment button.

More Than 170,000 Models of the First Mercedes-Benz CLS Sold Worldwide

A generation ahead: with the CLS, Mercedes-Benz created a new vehicle category in 2003 which combined the elegance and expressiveness of a coupe with the comfort and functionality of a sedan for the first time. The customers were delighted, the competition astounded: for many years the CLS remained the only four-door coupe in its class and since October 2004 it has been the car of choice for some 170,000 buyers worldwide. A surprisingly large number of them were buying their first Mercedes-Benz at the time. "Customers all over the world have rewarded us for our courage in launching a completely new vehicle concept onto the market," explains a delighted Dr Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales & Marketing
for Mercedes-Benz. "And with its exciting design and refined sportiness, the new edition of the CLS also benefits from the fact that we are a whole generation ahead of the competition with our four-door Coupe."

Mercedes-Benz CLS550: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications