Mercedes-AMG CLS

Mercedes design of late has been, to my eyes at least, a bit of a mixed bag. While the brand is moving away from that worn-down lozenge look, it’s still not doing elegance the way it used to. One car, however, in all its years on sale has managed to be both pretty and striking – the Mercedes CLS – the latter aspect amplified somewhat with the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4MATIC+ version tested here.

Now in its third generation, AMG's version of the CLS has ditched the hissing, spitting twin-turbo V8 and instead fits a clever, calmer engine that is more befitting of the sleek, four-door coupe in which it is housed.

A colleague once said to nobody in particular that car companies these days are going for striking rather than beautiful. BMW’s overgrown schnozzes, lots of cars with dramatic swoops and slashes and scars, the only antidote seeming to be Audi’s continuing restraint that detractors decry as boring. The same ones complaining about the proliferation of cars they don’t like the look of.

It's very much an air of, “Make more interesting cars!”, which the carmakers do and then the same people shout, “No, not like that!”

Except, perhaps for this AMG-fettled CLS. But does its visual balance stack up with the way it drives?

Pricing and Features

The idea of not-quite-the-full-monty AMGs is not new. My particular favourite of the genre is the A35 AMG, a classier performance A-Class that really hit the spot. The C43 was really the pioneer of the idea, a car for those who didn’t need that potty-mouthed V8 urge or maybe couldn’t afford it.

You can have the CLS 53 4MATIC+ on your driveway from $183,600 plus on-road costs. At the moment, it is the only CLS you can buy in this country, which is kind of a shame but points to the fact that nobody wants the other ones for SUV reasons. There is no CLS63 AMG at all anymore, which is probably less of a shame because its brutality doesn’t really go with the vibe of the CLS.

For that not-insignificant sum, you will receive a well-equipped four-door coupe with 20-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, cameras everywhere, keyless entry and start, Mercedes’ well-regarded MBUX dual-screen media and instrument system, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, powered front seats, sat-nav, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, head-up display, Nappa leather seats, power everything, wireless charging and a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare.

Unusually, all but two of the available colours are free. You can spec a carbon exterior pack for $3800, the Limited Edition Pack is $14,000 and is a selection of a lot of options, internal carbonfibre trim is a whopping $5500 and you can get power-closing doors for $1300.

At the moment this is the only CLS you can buy … There is no CLS63 AMG, which is probably less of a shame because it doesn’t go with the vibe of the CLS

Mercedes’ excellent MBUX system powers two massive screens that stretch two-thirds of the way across the car. The dash screen is endlessly configurable and displays a comprehensive set of information options that can take a long time to get right. The second screen runs all the available functions, you can set themes that change both the central and dashboard screens and it runs Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in full glorious widescreen.

Comfort and space

While the CLS might be a lot of car, it’s not especially spacious, but you already knew that. Four-door coupe is a quick way of saying, “Hey, you like a car the size of an E-Class but you rarely have anyone in the back because let’s face it, you like driving and probably don’t have kids, or if you do, they’re in the back of a GLC or GLE.”

So while the rear seats themselves are comfortable, entry is nearly as tricky as Apollo 13’s (not really) and you have to beware a bashed skull as you negotiate the fast C-pillar. Once you’re in, leg and knee room are adequate if you’re up to about 180cm but at that height, you’ll be brushing the headlining on bumps. Any taller and it won’t be much fun.

So while the rear seats are comfortable, entry is nearly as tricky as Apollo 13’s and you have to beware a bashed skull as you negotiate the C-pillar

Needless to say, the body is shrunk down tight over the chassis, so the transmission tunnel is substantial and the middle seat an afterthought rather than a thing you’d actually use.

Boot space is pretty decent at 490 litres and you can tow up to 1900kg. I would pay good money to see a CLS dragging a caravan.

On the Road

In a car like this, you’d expect a 63 in the name and that glorious twin-turbo V8. Sadly but not unreasonably, that’s not the case. Clearly, CLS owners weren’t keen on that less-than-couth power unit so Mercedes has opted for the very clever M256 3.0-litre straight-six.

If you’re new to this engine – the unit itself is not new, it’s been around a while – it’s quite clever. If you already know about it, skip a couple of paragraphs.

It’s a lovely engine. Almost the equal of BMW’s straight-six in sound and character, it’s got an uncommonly high redline and doesn’t mind finding it

On one side of the engine is an electric compressor. To generate enough electricity to drive that, there is also a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with an integrated starter in the transmission to harvest electricity in coasting and braking while then punching back up to 250Nm (!) of twist and a handy 16-odd kilowatt boost. It cannot move the car on its own, hence the name mild hybrid.

Anyway, part of the reason for the electric compressor is because on the other side of the engine, up nice and close to the exhaust ports, is a big turbo. Like, old-fashioned big turbo that would usually mean sounding the turbo lag klaxon, but the electric compressor is there to help things along. It’s not as simple as being another turbo; it’s there to generate pressure in the system as well as eliminate turbo lag.

Power is an exceptionally reasonable 320kW at 6100rpm while torque from the ICE comes in at an also-hefty 520Nm. So if you’re rejoining us having skipped the description of the engine, you may already be aware that coupled to a nine-speed MCT (not a dual-clutch, but a multi-clutch pack, like a motorbike) and a very rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, you’ll hit 100km/h from zip in 4.5 seconds.

It’s a lovely engine. Almost the equal of BMW’s straight-six in sound and character, it’s got an uncommonly high 7000rpm redline and doesn’t mind finding it. When you’re up for some fun, the engine comes right back at you with plenty of smooth, linear power to rocket you up the road.

Obviously, it doesn’t have the hooning character of the non-existent 63 variant I’d been pondering during the time I had it, but you know what? It just doesn’t fit this car. And that’s for a bunch of reasons. It’s too stylish, it’s too sleek and it’s already quick enough.

It’s a big unit, too, at 1980kg, but the 4MATIC+ hides its weight well. The adaptive air suspension manages to feel like steel springs most of the time but uses its cleverness to hide the bumps and spots on the bad stuff, made more remarkable by the sheer size of the 20-inch alloys.

It doesn’t have the hooning character of the non-existent 63 variant but then again hooliganism just doesn’t fit this car. It’s too stylish, it’s too sleek and it’s already quick enough

Pushing on, it’s all about the flow. While the brakes are more than up to that heavyweight fighting mass, you can really get into a flow with the CLS. Equally, it’s a commanding cruiser, burbling quietly along in ninth gear as the miles pass under you without fuss. It’s an extremely pleasant car in which to either pass the city or country commute.

Fuel use is a small issue, or was for me anyway. The official ADR figure is a creditable 9.2L/100km but I got 14.7L/100km. No, I did not drive like my mum, so perhaps you’ll do better if you’re less addicted to that AMG punch.

Ownership

Mercedes offers owners a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, recently joined by Audi, bettering or matching its premium rivals such as Jaguar, Lexus and BMW.

You can control your service costs by buying a service plan. You need only visit the dealer once a year or every 25,000km, whichever comes first and for a three-year plan, you’ll pay $3300, four years $4300 and five a sobering $6150. That’s an average yearly spend of either $1100, $1075 or $1230 respectively. I reckon the service plan is a good idea versus the pay-as-you-go alternative that likely costs substantially more as the years go on.

VERDICT

People crap on about Bentleys being the car of choice for people who like driving themselves and always forget to mention the bit about the colossal cost of the British classic. While the CLS isn’t cheap, it’s cheaper than a Bentley and weighs half a ton less while it’s at it. It’s definitely the car for moneyed folks who like driving themselves, though (as if having a chauffeur is much of a thing in Australia) because it fulfils so many of the criteria drivers like.

It’s handy in the corners, comfortable in the straight-ahead stuff, looks gorgeous and the tight back seat means you won’t have people fighting to go with you when you just want to be on your own or in the company of just one other person.

It’s definitely the car for moneyed folks who like driving themselves because it fulfils so many of the criteria drivers like

More seriously, though, this is a fine automobile. The inventive powertrain, excellent chassis and all-rounder capabilities are more than enough to soothe the disappointment it doesn’t contain the turbo V8. But I think – and I don’t often say things like this when it comes to that engine – the CLS 53 might be all the better for not having it.

And while my colleague was on the money about striking over pretty, this is the exception that proves the rule.

2022 Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4MATIC+ specifications