2021 Mercedes-Benz CLS gets design, tech tweaks in facelift

The Mercedes-Benz CLS swoopy sedan (or four-door coupé in MB speak) is an important car for the German marque. After all, more than four million examples of the car have been sold worldwide since the first CLS was introduced in 2004, Mercedes said.

That number may be pushed even further by the exterior and interior design, tech, and powertrain updates Mercedes-Benz has applied to this third-generation CLS.

The entry-level model Avantgarde now sports a new front apron with striking air intakes, two louvres at the sides, and a splitter in silver chrome up front. Out back, a rear apron with a black diffuser-look insert and a silver-chrome trim strip has been added.

Wheel designs have also been jazzed up with two new designs, a twin-spoke or multi-spoke, for the 19-inch light-alloy wheels.

Meanwhile, the CLS with an AMG Line Exterior is made unique with an AMG-specific front apron, a front splitter in silver chrome, and air intakes with vertical bars in high-gloss black.

Twenty-inch, glossy AMG wheels can wear two new colors: Tremolite grey or high-gloss black.

Both Avantgarde and AMG Line share a new radiator grille, Mercedes-Benz added. Special design cues of this grille are the brand's signature pattern that proudly wears the three-pointed star.

New materials will adorn the new CLS interior, too. Brown walnut and glossy gray wood will cover the center console, while a combination of gray, and black/brown leather upholstery is added to the leather seat color range.

And if all of that is not enough for the discerning customer, Mercedes-Benz can make a CLS with a customer's own color and design preferences.

The tech enhancement is found in the optional Driving Assistance Package, which also includes Active Distance Assist Distronic and Active Steering Assist.

Basically a semi-autonomous driving system, the highlight of this feature are the two sensor pads in the steering wheel rim. These sensors register whether the driver's hands are on the wheel. Once the driver places his hands on the steering, the assistance systems deactivate, with no need to press a button.

Under the hood, a new mild-hybrid diesel engine has been introduced. The CLS 300d has a 2.0-liter diesel engine alongside a 15kW electric motor, which propels the car from zero-to-100kph in 6.4 seconds, while delivering a claimed 20.4kpl.

Meanwhile, think of the fastest CLS, the CLS 53, as a successor to the previous-generations of CLS AMGs with snorty V8 engines of yesterday.

Today's CLS 53 is powered by an inline six three-liter with mild-hybrid assistance, which is packed with 330hp and 700Nm of torque. That means the CLS 53 can reach 100 kph in 5.2 seconds, with an estimated consumption of 15kpl.

Mercedes-Benz added that 300 units of Limited Edition are planned to be made.

So the new CLS is fast, stylish, green, and exclusive? "Four-door coupé" buyers are lucky, indeed.

Photos from Mercedes-Benz

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