Mercedes shaves $50,000 off CLS-Class

MERCEDES-BENZ has streamlined its swoopy CLS-Class range down to five variants and dropped the price by as much as $50,000 while adding standard equipment.

This leaves the CLS250 CDI diesel and CLS500 petrol as the only (non-AMG) sedan offerings to remain, while the Shooting Brake wagon body-style now comes exclusively in CLS250 CDI guise (again, excluding the still-available AMG).

All three variants will now also wear ‘Avantgarde 10 Edition’ monikers, a name that commemorates the tenth anniversary of the CLS line – a car Mercedes calls “the world’s first four-door coupe”.

The week’s announcement means the CLS350 3.5-litre petrol V6 in both sedan and Shooting Brake guise and the CLS350 CDI V6 turbo-diesel sedan have been quietly discontinued.

Performance fans can rest easy, because the AMG CLS63 AMG S hot versions remain available, albeit with unchanged prices of $260,654 for the sedan and $265,145 for the Shooting Brake.

The CLS250 CDI Avantgarde 10 Edition kicks off the rationalised line-up from $114,900 plus on-road costs for the sedan and $124,000 for the Shooting Brake, marking a drop of $5000 apiece over the previous price.

In the more generously specified CLS500 Coupe Avantgarde 10 Edition guise, sedan pricing has dropped by a substantial $50,045 from $209,945 to $159,900. This version essentially takes the place of the slow-selling CLS350.

The new pricing undercuts the opening gambits of its major rivals. The Audi A7 kicks off from $136,750 for the TDI quattro, while the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe starts from $184,445 plus on-roads for the petrol 640i.

By ushering in the Avantgarde specification, the CLS is now better equipped, with added features including heated front seats, a Harmon Kardon surround sound system and an ‘Airmatic’ electronically controlled damping system standard on the CLS250 CDI.

Further up the range, DAB+ digital radio and ‘Easy-Pack’ quick-fold rear seats are now standard fare on the CLS500 Avantgarde 10 Edition.

Both variants also feature AMG body-styling, LED headlights with an ‘Intelligent Light System’ and 19-inch wheels as standard.

Mercedes-Benz Cars Australia Pacific senior manager for public relations, product and corporate communications David McCarthy said the reduced price and extra equipment means buyers are getting a better value vehicle than before.

“The net customer value in the CLS250, for both models, is in excess of $20,000 and on the CLS500 it is $45,000,” he said.

“These vehicles are specced according to what customers have been ordering. That specification of those vehicles can’t be changed. We are delivering what the market wants.” Powertrains remain unchanged, with the CLS250 CDI powered by a 150kW/500Nm 2.1-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, while the CLS500 keeps the 300kW/600Nm twin-turbo V8 petrol unit under its sleek bonnet. Both variants are matched with a seven-speed automatic transmission as standard.

Based on the W211 E-Class, the original CLS became something of an instant classic, with its sleek coupe-like lines gaining praise for shaking up the executive car class and influencing the design of a number of models since then, including the Volkswagen Passat CC and Mercedes’ own CLA compact sedan.

The second-generation launched locally in mid-2011 and saw the introduction of a stylish Shooting Brake, or station wagon variant.

Last year Mercedes replaced the CLS63 AMG in Coupe and Shooting Brake body-styles with the more powerful CLS63 AMG S that featured a 44kW boost in power over the standard version.

In 2013, Mercedes recorded 456 sales of the CLS in Australia, marking a 51 per cent boost over the 302 units it sold in 2012.

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class pricing*

Coupe
CLS250 CDI Avantgarde 10 Edition	$114,900 (-$5000)
CLS500 Avantgarde 10 Edition	$159,900 (-$50,045)
CLS63 AMG S	$260,654
Shooting Brake
CLS250 CDI Avantgarde 10 Edition	$124,000 (-$5000)

*Excluding on-road costs