Mercedes-Benz Vision CLS "Concept"

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Vision CLS concept at the IAA in Frankfurt yesterday, combining the elegance and dynamism of a coupé with the comfort and practicality of a sedan. The Vision CLS presents a near-production view of Mercedes' C219 4-door "coupé", joining the CLK- and CL-Class. Mercedes' insistence on calling the C219 project a "coupé" has caused much confusion with disguised prototypes, clearly 4-door sedans, mistakenly identified as the next S-Class.

Although Mercedes claims the Vision CLS "concept" is being presented to gauge public opinion, development work on the new sedan is almost complete. New 6-cylinder petrol and diesel engines (CLS 250, CLS 300 and CLS 350) are expected to join the V8 CLS 500 and AMG CLS 55 shortly after the production model's debut early in the new year.

The Vision CLS is based on the 2854 mm / 112.4" floorpan of the E-Class, with a longer (4910 mm / 193.3") lower (1391 mm / 54.8") and wider (1851 mm / 72.9") body Mercedes describes as "a unique synthesis of coupé and saloon". With four doors and a generous amount of space, the footprint of the CLS falls between the new 5-Series and the Lincoln LS, with a lower coupé-like roofline. There is a gap of 829 mm between the front and rear seats, which puts the Vision CLS firmly in mid-size sedan territory. Despite the increased length and width the CLS has less rear seat room than the E-Class, with 924 mm (36.4") headroom and 1422 mm (56") of shoulder room. Trunk room also suffers with a capacity of 470 liters (16.6 cu-ft) according to the VDA measuring method — less than the standard E-Class but still good for mid-size sport sedans.

Leather and wood are the major design features in the interior. In the showcar the upper surface of the instrument panel and the A-pillars are lined with natural leather processed according to traditional methods. The seats and interior door panels are likewise lined with supple leather in light beige whose surface is attractively accentuated with a rhomboid structure. Hand-finished oak veneer attracts the eye with its light colour and interesting, open grain. A large area of decorative trim in this attractive natural material dominates almost the entire face of the instrument panel and ensures an atmosphere of elegance.

Ergonomic design makes the various systems much easier to use, thus enabling the driver to enjoy mile after mile on the road. The centrepiece of this ergonomic concept is the four-spoke steering wheel which has four illuminated "paddles" for calling up important information or controlling selected functions at the touch of a button. Devices such as the radio, telephone and navigation system, among others, can be easily operated in this way.

The Vision CLS has a sports-tuned chassis, AIRMATIC DC air suspension, speed-sensitive power steering, 19-inch wide tyres (255/35 R 19 at the front, 285/30 R 19 at the rear) and, at its heart, a powerful biturbo engine. With a power output of 195 kW / 265 PS and a peak torque of 560 Nm available from just 2000 rpm, the six-cylinder CDI power plant matches the output of Mercedes' own 4.0 liter CDI V8, demonstrating the recent advances in diesel technology. As well as returning fuel-consumption figures of 7.5 liters per 100 km (NEDC cycle), the Vision CLS delivers performance on a par with higher-capacity V8 models, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and from 60 to 120 km/h in 5.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

The high-torque six-cylinder CDI engine is the ideal partner for the new 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz will be introducing it as standard for V8 E-, S-, SL- and CL-Class models from autumn 2003. The special "kick-down" technology at the heart of the 7G-TRONIC allows fast acceleration in any gear and supreme ease of shifting.

Further innovations that are features of the Vision CLS include bi-xenon headlamps, Active Light System, automatic Cornering Light and the Senso-tronic Brake Control (SBC™) electrohydraulic brake system, all of which ensure safer motoring and minimise the risk of accidents. In addition, SBC™ incorporates unique convenience functions such as "Softstop" for stopping smoothly in heavy traffic, "Anti-stall Assist" to make hill-starts easier and "Tailback Assist", an aid that enables drivers to apply the brakes in stop-and-go traffic simply by releasing the accelerator.