Press Release
Page 1: Overview (I)
Page 2: Overview (II)
Page 3: At a Glance
Page 4: Design
Page 5: Safety (I)
Page 6: Safety (II)
Page 7: Body
Page 8: Support Systems
Page 9: Interior (I)
Page 10: Interior (II)
Page 11: Chassis
Page 12: Engines
Page 13: Specifications
Overview (I)
In autumn 2006 Mercedes-Benz is launching the culmination of more than 50 years of coupé tradition with the new CL-Class. The new two-door model combines peerless exclusivity and charismatic design with trailblazing technology which no other car brand is able to offer. The luxury coupé enters new dimensions in vehicle safety with PRE-SAFE® Brake, a unique system which automatically brakes the Coupé when a rear-end collision threatens. Standard equipment also includes Mercedes innovations such as an active ABC suspension (Active Body Control), the Intelligent Light System with five lighting functions and the anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®. There is a choice of two powerful engines with eight or twelve cylinders. These generate significantly more output and torque, while exhibiting an exemplary smoothness which lives up to the Mercedes heritage of superb motoring refinement.
The large Mercedes Coupés have been the epitome of elegance and exclusivity in automotive engineering for many decades. They set standards in design and equipment, combining outstanding safety with the greatest comfort and a superior driving experience. In short, Mercedes Coupés are dream cars of a very special kind - automotive classics.
The new CL-Class is yet another masterpiece by Mercedes-Benz. Just as this luxury coupé points the way into the future with its innovative technology, its design is a protagonist for a new aesthetic appearance - a new Mercedes style. This is characterised by an interplay between taut, striking lines and large, tranquil surfaces. This design idiom lends the Coupé a very special presence, underlining the unruffled calm and strength of its unique character.
Familiar Mercedes characteristics are reinterpreted and incorporated into the design concept to form a harmonious composition of tradition and modernity. Examples are the typical Mercedes radiator grille with its wide chrome louvres and the design of the C-pillar. This unique, slightly downwards-tapering pillar configuration is a typical feature of the large coupés whose roots go right back to the 1950s: in 1956 the Model 220 S/SE Coupé (model series W 180/W 128) first captured attention with such a C-pillar design, and a few years later it was further perfected in the succeeding model, the 220 SE Coupé (W 111/112).
Other design features which were already acclaimed at that time have also been reinterpreted in the new CL-Class, keeping alive the great coupé tradition of the Mercedes-Benz brand: for example the fully retractable side windows, whose continuous aperture is not interrupted by a B-pillar, and the large, curving panoramic rear windscreen. In the early years this was a typical styling feature of Mercedes Coupés, and in its stylistically evolved form it is just as appealing as in the 220 SE Coupé of 1961.
Interior: appointments for even the most discerning
The same elegance is found in the interior: the large window aperture draws the eye to the stylish dashboard, exquisite wood trim and soft leather upholstery. It is immediately apparent that everything in the interior is designed for comfort and relaxation. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an exclusive club: take a seat and enjoy. There is a choice of five stylish colour combinations, while automatic climate control, COMAND with a car radio and CD/DVD player and a glass sliding sunroof are other standard equipment items which contribute to the uniquely comfortable driving experience.
In the top-of-the-line model CL 600, an interior in PASSION leather, specially selected poplar wood trim and an Alcantara roof liner with quilted seams contribute to a luxurious, first-class atmosphere which is also echoed by designo seats, chromed door sill panels and deep-pile floor mats with leather edging. The standard specification also includes dynamic multicontour seats with massage function and seat ventilation, the hard-disc navigation system COMAND APS, the LOGIC7® surround sound system with DVD changer and the KEYLESS-GO access and drive authorisation system.
Compared with the outgoing model, the new Mercedes-Benz top-of-the-range coupé has grown slightly in every dimension. 5065 millimetres long, 1871 millimetres wide and 1418 millimetres high, the body is 75 millimetres longer, 14 millimetres wider and 20 millimetres higher than before, providing even more comfort and space on all four seats. The boot capacity has been increased by 40 litres to 490 litres (VDA measuring method).
Control system: fewer switches for more functions
A newly developed control system, which has already been successfully imple-mented in the S Class worldwide, refines driver-vehicle interaction even further. Its main advantage is that it provides convenient, rapid access to frequently used functions such as the radio, DVD player, car phone or navigation system. Depending on the driver's own preference, these systems can be controlled using switches in the centre console, pressing a button on the multifunction steering wheel or using the COMAND controller on the centre console. This central con-trol element is linked to the large, pivoting COMAND colour display next to the instrument cluster, providing access to the user-friendly main and sub-menus that activate the various functions.
The standard automatic climate control with four independently adjustable temperature zones is also integrated into the new control system. The driver and front passenger can select temperature, air distribution and other settings either using the COMAND controller and menu-based control, or by means of an attractively styled switch array beneath the air vents. The COMAND system allows other individual climate settings to be adjusted, such as air distribution and the footwell temperature.
The newly developed integral seats in the CL-Class provide maximum individual seating comfort. "Integral" means that all components of the seat belt system are incorporated directly into the seat; hence the seats form an important component in the occupant protection system. The standard specification already provides electric adjustment of the longitudinal setting, inclination of the seat and backrest, seat height, head restraint and length of the front seat cushions. Pneumatic lumbar supports allow the driver and front passenger to adjust the backrest contour to suit their build and consequently reduce the strain on the back muscles.
Optional extras include luxury seats with active ventilation (standard in the CL 600) that provide even more individual comfort, along with the further enhanced multicontour seats with nine air cushions, and dynamic multicontour seats with massage function (standard in the CL 600).
The driver and front passenger seats with multicontour function have been awarded the AGR ("healthy back campaign") seal of approval.
Active Body Control: superb combination of dynamism and comfort
The standard specification in the new Mercedes Coupé features technological innovations that no other manufacturer can match anywhere in the world. First and foremost is the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension system, which in its latest, even more sophisticated guise delivers unprecedented handling dynamics while offering an equally appreciable improvement in ride comfort. Based on sensor signals and using specially designed hydraulic cylinders at the axles, ABC all but entirely eliminates the customary pitch and roll of the body that occur when moving off, cornering and braking. ABC responds with split-second speed to ensure the body damping is adjusted instantly to any situation. At speeds above 60 km/h, ABC lowers the body by up to ten millimetres in the "Sport" programme to reduce drag and improve handling stability.
Another special feature of Active Body Control is its variable distribution of body roll between the front and rear axles according to vehicle speed, which combines agile handling with outstanding stability.
Intelligent Light System: five lighting functions to match driving and weather conditions
The Intelligent Light System, which makes driving even safer in the dark, is equally unique. Together with bi-xenon headlamps it forms part of the standard specification for the new CL-Class and provides five different lighting functions that are activated to match driving and weather conditions: the new country road mode illuminates the driver's-side edge of the road more widely and brightly than the existing low-beam headlamps.
Motorway mode, which comes on automatically when driving above 90 km/h, delivers a uniform cone of light that illuminates the entire road width. In the centre of this cone the driver is able to see around 50 metres further. The enhanced fog lamps are also new, which Mercedes-Benz uses to provide better orientation in adverse weather conditions. The active light function and cornering light function are also part of the standard-fit Intelligent Light System on the CL-Class.
