Test drive Mercedes Benz CLS class C218 since 2010 sedan

Mercedes CLS: Marketing Drive

Mercedes CLS has become more stylish, less expensive, slightly slow, slightly sophisticated and significantly more technological. And for all this received the title of new.
You can expand the framework of the target audience of the car model in different ways. For example, in order to attract Arab sheikhs, it is enough to completely cover the car with polished chromium. Gays can be lured with pearl-pink shades of body colors and Swarovski rhinestones scattered along the cabin. But Mercedes is interested in those who wanted to buy a less expensive and more economical car. And now it has become easier to join the Society of CLS holders.
To be more accurate, then the bar that separated a simple mortal from the owner of the CLS fell by 225,000 rubles, thus amounting to 2,553,000 rubles. The decrease in the starting price of the updated Mercedes (yes, it is also updated!) It is due to the appearance in the line of the new three-liter gasoline engine and, accordingly, the CLS 280 version.
When a person comes to a car dealership with a three -beam star on the door, he is firmly convinced that he needs only Mercedes. Depending on the claims, the size of the family and rhythm of driving, it can directly on the spot decide on the choice: prefer restrained C180, status S600 or reactive SL 65 AMG.
But CLS is another matter. It is chosen in advance; He falls in love with magazine pictures and advertising photos on billboards. He delights the gracefulness of forms and unimaginable dynamism, which can only have a four -door performance. How could he change so as not to lose his virtues, and even acquire new ones?! So far, Mercedes is not ready to give out something a head above CLS, but the light strokes of restyling will not hurt. Should not.
In front of the renewal affected the radiator lattice CLS, on which now there are two instead of four horizontal stripes. In the front bumper and between the headlights, the decorative grid is stretched, and the rear optics acquired new LED solutions.
Outdoor rear view mirrors look different now. They also built the LED lamps indicating the turn that form the swelling shape. In bright daylight, they are not very clearly visible, but in the dark it looks very impressive! In addition, the area of \u200b\u200bmirrors increased by 32% allows you to better see and control the road behind the plusik in the graph active safety.
The altered nature of the view in the back of the new CLS form the rear spoiler and new pipes of the release system. The latter now have a trapezoidal, not oval shape. And new, 17-inch alloy wheels (for models CLS 280, CLS 320 CDI and CLS 350 CGI) and 18-inch in the case of CLS 500 are completed.
Ergonomic, stylistic, technological, or God forbid! There were no functional shortcomings in the CLS. But this does not mean at all that restyling went through the tangent without hitting the salon. A new combination of devices and skin covered with leather is now a three -spoke wheel and is equipped with a number of useful keys. Between the steering wheel spokes, white scales of devices and a gray chased background between dials are visible.
In addition, the on -board telematic system received a number of useful innovations: for example, volume adjustment, which automatically changes depending on the speed of movement; keyboard for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies; DVD player with MP3 support support, as well as the Bluetooth interface, which allows you to wirelessly connect a mobile phone to a high-connection device.
Now about the most important thing: about the engine. The new engine made CLS 280 not only more accessible and more economical, but also slower. The main thing that interested me before turning the key in the ignition lock: did I take the right place in this Mercedes?
Correct! Because the person (two) of short stature (at least below 180 cm) is comfortably accommodated from behind, this is the reckoning for a dynamic silhouette and, accordingly, a low roof. And also because the owner of Mercedes never sits to the right of the driver. Is that when the wife was driving ...
However, even having lost 41 liters. With. (compared with the 272-horsepower version of CLS350), the standard version of the four-door compartment did not cease to be a source of driver's pleasures. If not thanks enchanting dynamics is to CLS 55 AMG, then at least because of the excellent smoothness of the course, confident manageability and the ability to adjust the rigidity and height of the suspension.
And, by the way, to call the 280th slowly the tongue will turn out to be the owner of the car with the AMG nameplate! The four -door compartment (or a component sedan for me, both are true) exchanges the first hundred from the moment the start is already 7.7 s. Agree: this is more than good for the basic entertaining version! But the acceleration is even, plastic and not so tangible as it could be.
CLS goes extremely quietly, softly and evenly, drowning out any violation of acoustic or vibration -insulated comfort. On the pits of almost any clearance and overhangs permissible the size of the body only sways slightly, not allowing itself annoying strokes and, especially, sounds. And even the seven-speed automatic transmission 7G-Tronic switches so quickly and insinuatingly that you can only understand what kind of program you are moving on, without taking your eyes off the tachometer from the moment of start.
The rolls seem to be completely turned off even in a comfortable air suspension mode. But when the compartment requires the ultimate accuracy and speed of reactions, it is enough to transfer pneumatic shutters into sports mode. Then the suspension begins to obey the steering wheel twice as clearly and implicitly.
Work on mistakes? No, Stuttgarts rarely mistaken in them, it is too expensive. Restyling for Mercedes is just a marketing move, a reason to recall yourself. The fact that they do not rest on the laurels of past successes, and work on the future. At the same time improving the perfect
The car is provided by the Neva star by the official Mercedes-Benz dealer.
 
Text: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Roman Ostanin

 

   
 

A source: Wheel magazine [July 2008]