THE NEW CLS - THE NEW DESIGN ICON FROM MERCEDES-BENZ

World premiere at the 2010 Paris motor show

¡öThe CLS brings refined sportiness to life
¡öVisualisation of the Mercedes-Benz brand values
¡öAthletic proportions, perceptible design idiom
¡öExpressive front design features central star in the grille
¡öDynamic, feature line flowing back towards the rear
¡öElegance with handcrafted details in the interior

A generation ahead: with the CLS, Mercedes-Benz created a new vehicle category in 2003 which for the first time combined the elegance and dynamism of a coup¨¦ with the comfort and functionality of a saloon. The public were delighted, the competition astounded and a style icon was born: for years the CLS has endured as the only four-door coup¨¦ in its class, and since October 2004 it has been the car of choice for around 170,000 buyers worldwide. Customers all over the world benefited from our bold move to launch a completely new vehicle concept onto the market, explains a delighted Dr. Joachim Schmidt, member of the board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Sales & Marketing. And with its exciting design, 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 Coup¨¦.

Celebrating its world premiere at the Paris motor show (2 - 17 October 2010), the new CLS builds on the pioneering role of its predecessor yet at the same time is an entirely new edition. The new CLS points the way forward for the future perceptible design idiom of Mercedes-Benz, explains Professor Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz. At the same time it takes its inspiration from the great tradition of stylish, refined sportiness which has always been a feature of Mercedes coup¨¦s.

Exterior: classic Coup¨¦ styling with distinctive front

The proportions remain as spectacular as ever: long bonnet, narrow-look windows with frameless side windows, dynamic roof sweeping back at an angle towards the rear. The four-door Coup¨¦ from Mercedes-Benz immediately made its mark in 2003 as a new style icon. Now the proportions are the same - and yet everything is different: the second generation of this design trendsetter has adopted a completely new look.

What immediately strikes the eye is the innovative front design, which is reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Visually, the radiator grille is not integrated into the bonnet but is formed separately. This highlights the long, sporty bonnet even further. The grille is dominated by the large central star, which underlines the car's relationship to the other coup¨¦s of the brand and also enhances brand identity. The large, elongated dark air inlets with black grilles also add to the vehicle's athletic appearance.

Design brings high-tech features to life

Another distinguishing feature comes in the form of the full LED headlamps, which are the world's first to offer all of the regular dynamic light functions using LED technology. This innovation boasts an impressive design - inside they are divided into three arrow-shaped layers from top to bottom: the upper layer contains an LED indicator, beneath which is a striking LED side light offering LED low beam functions. The side light can also be seen when the dipped beam function is switched on, thereby creating a novel and separate night-time design and distinctive look. The lowest level of the headlamp houses the main beam and nightview functions. A total of 71 LED's not only provide an unmistakable appearance, but also a significantly enhanced view of the road compared with previous systems.