More Mercedes CLS Grand Edition Details and Eye Candy Released

Mercedes CLS Grand Edition

By Thami Masemola
January 2, 2009 8:51 PM
Filed Under: German, Mercedes-Benz, Special Editions

A Special Edition Mercedes-Benz CLS is going on sale from March 2009 for a minimum price of €67,294.50. The CLS Grand Edition model features exclusive articles like matt designo paint finish that comes in paint choices called obsidian black, iridium silver, carneol red and flint grey. The CLS' "designo magno platinum" matt paint finish is highly scratch- and dirt resistant as well, proving wrong the notion that luxury is fragile.

The four-door Mercedes coupe features 18-inch 5-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels with pockets painted in titanium grey, running on 245/40 R 18 tyres in the front and 275/35 R 18 tyres in the rear.

Several interior comforts keep the CLS Grand Edition in the realm of special Mercedes-Benzes. These include Alcantara, special leather upholstery, high quality wood, sport pedals brushed in stainless steel, a COMAND control system with parktronic and "Grand Edition" velour floor mats.

Although one of four engines can be ordered with this car, the CLS350 CGI model seems to be the one touted the most. At its heart is a V6 layout with piezoelectric direct injection and spray-guided combustion. At maximum level it develops 215 kW / 292hp and can comfortably reach an average fuel consumption figure of 9.1 litres/100km.

Press Release (Click to expand)

The new CLS Grand Edition special-edition model sees Mercedes-Benz introducing a new highlight to the segment for four-door premium coupés. A matt designo paint finish lends spectacular definition to the lines of the coupé and makes the CLS Grand Edition really catch the eye. This exclusive style is echoed in the interior with high-grade designo leather and high-quality equipment details. All of which makes the multi-design-award-winning Mercedes-Benz Coupé unmistakable.

Coupés are truly special cars. Not least the Mercedes Coupés, which have always epitomised automotive elegance, exclusivity and refinement at the very highest level. With the CLS, Mercedes-Benz paved the way for four-door coupés. The trend-setting model from Stuttgartinspires coupé enthusiasts with its exciting and muscular styling.

Even more pronounced lines through new paint

The new Mercedes-Benz CLSGrand Edition catches the eye straight away. A unique "designo magno platinum" matt paint finish brings the lines and contours of the premium Coupé fully to the fore and emphasises its multi-award-winning design. As well as being an eye-catching feature, the matt paint finish is highly scratch- and dirt-resistant. In keeping with the avant-garde paintwork, the radiator grille louvres are also painted in "designo magno platinum".

The Grand Edition customers can select from a choice of metallic paint finishes: obsidian black, iridium silver, carneol red or flint grey.

The additional exterior equipment for the CLS Grand Edition includes:

Bi-xenon headlamps with dark headlamp casings, active light function and cornering light function in the fog lamps, headlamp cleaning system, and dynamic headlamp range adjustment
Exclusive, high-sheen AMG18-inch 5-spoke light-alloy wheels with pockets painted in titanium grey, shod with 245/40 R 18 (front) and 275/35 R 18 (rear) tyres
A "Grand Edition" insignia on the front wings

designo interior displaying sporty, elegant touches

The no-nonsense elegance continues inside the car. Here a perfectly matched designo interior and a roof lining in anthracite Alcantara, together with the standard-fit tilting/sliding glass roof, define the sporty, elegant style. Special touches are provided by the designo leather upholstery in "marron" – with the option of substituting this shade for sand, black, mystic red, porcelain or chablis.

The trim elements in high-quality laurel wood can be ordered with either a matt or a high-gloss finish. The same material is used for the selector lever and the wood/leather steering wheel. Sport pedals in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs underline the sporting credentials of the CLSGrand Edition.

The extensive range of equipment includes the sophisticated COMAND APSMultimedia control and display system, comfort telephony, PARKTRONIC and “Grand Edition” velour floor mats.

Pioneering engine technology in the CLS 350 CGI

There are four engine variants available for the CLSGrand Edition, including the V6 unit for the entry-level CLS280 model and, perhaps most impressively of all, the CGIdirect-injection power plant for the CLS350 CGImodel, offering high output and low fuel consumption. This V6 engine with piezoelectric direct injection and spray-guided combustion develops 215 kW/292 hp and consumes just 9.1 litres of premium unleaded petrol per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined).

The Mercedes-Benz CLS Grand Edition can be ordered from January 2, 2009. Prices start at 67,294.50 Euros incl. VAT (CLS280 Grand Edition). The deliveries to customers start in March 2009.

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Comments

ck314

January 2, 2009 9:02 PM

Nicely done. Expensive but not so much considering the additional refinement.

giga-games

January 2, 2009 9:19 PM

i would say the best/the most beautiful car ever made! this wheels, this lights, this color, sound,...ummmm

Iconic

January 3, 2009 2:49 AM

Can anyone tell me why the base cls starts at $70K??? 10K more than the E550, one less seat, and a crazy blind spot. Now to make this post relevant... this model is ridiculous and unnecessary.

ck314

January 3, 2009 5:43 PM

It was meant for people able to make a distinction between a functional discreet family car and a striking sleek elegant 4-door coupé. And same goes for this particular limited series: designo ultra fine leather, precious wood and exotic paintjob, real alcantara rooflining, top of the range nav system and so on. As long as there will be discerning men, these cars will make sense.

Joe_Limon

January 3, 2009 3:23 AM

I still don't see the appeal of this car, I mean... it's just so bland. And you're paying a premium price for it. At $67,000 there are just so many better ways to carry a small family around. Be it a BMW, Lexus, Audi, or Caddy.

radmeister

January 3, 2009 11:47 PM

I just puked a bit, i can't believe you mentioned a caddy in a CLS post. Joe this car is leaps and bounds over any caddy, any lexus, and way above the Audi A6. It is completely covered in the finest italian leather on the inside, the wood trim is amazing. The purpose of the CLS is not to just carry you, its a fashion statement, perhaps the first car mercedes has built in a few years that appeals to a younger crowd. It may not make sense to you by looking at a photo or seeing this car drive by on the street, but sit in it and it will all make sense, the interior is epic, everything is in the right spot, finest materials, soft leathers. It's the kind of car that is not at home on the race track, it's home is parked in front of a 5 star hotel and the opera/ballet. The best photos of this car were when it first came out, it was in the burgundy colour with a cream interior and there was a gorgeous woman in a fancy long dress that was the same colour blowing in the wind, the lines in the dress formed by the fluttering made out the same lines as the car's. Epic photo and thats exactly what this car represents, imo there is no other car that has that effect.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 12:46 AM

"its a fashion statement" and "It may not make sense to you by looking at a photo or seeing this car drive by on the street" your right, it does make a fashion statement. The statement seems to approximate paying top price for something that has as much visual stimulation as a jetta, and you just admitted it. If you gold plate a pos at the end of the day it's still a pos. And your just upset because caddy offers a much better car for the price. Be it measured in any sense.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 2:31 AM

also, commenting on luxury leathers is like saying expensive hand bags are better since they use the same leather. It changes nothing about the design of the handbag or it's overall usefulness or even it's visual appeal. Its expensive for the sake of being expensive.

RS5

January 4, 2009 4:19 AM

I don't understand how any Cadillac offers a better car for the price than the CLS. In terms of design, Cadillac's angular and awkwards shapes don't compare to the curvature of the CLS, or any other Mercedes. And Cadillacs' interiors..are just void of style whatsoever; just a chunk of wood here, a slab of chrome there..And Cadillac advertises how they use the same interior materials supplier as Mercedes, which is just an acknowledgement that Mercedes is superior. I mean, you don't see Mercedes bragging about how they use the same materials as Cadillac. Then you have the engines. American manufacturers still don't know how to fine-tune small engines which is why in the DTS you have a gas-guzzling 4.6L V8 that produces 275 horsepower, while in the CLS, a V6 produces the equivalent amount, while a V8 can produce 382 horsepower. Oh, not to mention the DTS, starting at the low price of 47,000 USD comes only with superb front-wheel-drive performance paired to a state-of-the-art 4-speed transmission.

On the other hand, I acknowledge that the CTS is a whole different story. Yes it's a good car, a good rival to the C class, but it hasn't quite yet reached the level of refinement in a Mercedes, or any other German car for that matter.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 4:34 AM

I'm sorry, but the problem you see... is that usually the higher the hp/liter ratio, the worse the fuel consumption. Can you tell me why if American cars are "poorly tuned" they still get better mileage then german "well tuned" cars? I'll bring up the 3.1L A4 quattro, you know what it's fuel economy numbers compare to? A 6.2L corvette! Your logic doesn't seem to hold up. Why you might ask? Simple, German cars are tuned for performance and make up for poor fuel economy by making smaller engines. American cars however are tuned for fuel economy, and make up for low performance numbers by using bigger engines. It isn't that Germans are superior or that Americans are inferior. And if you ask me, I would rather get a fuel economy tuned vehicle because they simply last longer.

RS5

January 4, 2009 6:36 AM

If you want to get into gas mileages, here are the figures for the two cars I was mentioning above:

2009 Cadillac DTS(300HP 4.6L V8) 15/22MPG 2009 Mercedes CLS 550 (382HP 5.5L V8) 14/21MPG

Considering the significant size and output of the Mercedes engine, that's not much of a difference.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 7:39 AM

ok, those numbers go along with what I was saying. Look at the merc numbers that is a horrible hp/liter ratio, when you take into account the size power and displacement of the two vehicles those numbers seem awefully similar lol.

RS5

January 4, 2009 8:15 AM

Horrible HP/liter ratio? Do the calculations. The Mercedes actually has more horsepower per liter than the DTS. 382hp/5.5L=69.69hp/liter. 300hp/4.6L=65.20hp/liter. And that's the DTS with 300hp, not the one with 275hp with the same 4.6L engine. What are you talking about?

ck314

January 4, 2009 5:28 PM

He did not even take the time to read the short description, simply compare the new direct injection 3.5 V6 with over 300 *real*hp with that rather crappy V8. The simple fact of comparing the fuel efficiency achieved by recent german engines with current gen Northstars and the like seems absurd to me.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 8:09 PM

A few things, for the price, the CLS550 doesn't compete with the DTS, it competes with the STS, which gets 320hp out of a 4.6L which is 69.6hp/L which is almost identical to the Benz this comparison is way better since both cars are in the same price range and can spend the same amount on their engines... as to fuel economy, the sts gets 15/24 while the merc only 14/21. The numbers add up pretty nicely, and seems to be a even draw. Also, the engine in that merc is still no where near 1hp/liter which by your standards is "poorly tuned". Besides, you seem to forget the fact that only one of the Mercedes bluetech diesels can score over 20mpg in the city. Oh snap and burn, yes that means a barbaric hybrid Escalade gets better then all but one of the cars in Mercs line up in terms of city fuel economy.

RS5

January 4, 2009 8:31 PM

I was just refuting your factually flawed argument ('ok, those numbers go along with what I was saying. Look at the merc numbers that is a horrible hp/liter ratio') when in reality the Mercedes had a much better horsepower/liter ratio.

Also, you mention city fuel economy in your argument, but reality is that cities aren't the only place where driving occurs. EPA estimates are based on 45% highway and 55% city driving, not such a huge difference. All of Mercedes' Bluetec diesels get significantly better highway estimates than the Escalade Hybrid. The Escalade gets 20/21 MPG. The GL 320 Bluetec gets 17/23. The ML 320 Bluetec gets 18/24. The E 320 Bluetec gets 23/32.

Joe_Limon

January 4, 2009 10:23 PM

You still don't get it, the Escalade is a full sized luxury SUV. And here it is getting comparable numbers to the Mercedes "super efficient" blue tec models. And I don't get what your argument is anymore. "when in reality the Mercedes had a much better horsepower/liter ratio" nooo my comparison was more accurate, the CLS550 isn't borrowing it's engine from a better model, therefore it doesn't have to step it's power down, the DTS is a step under the STS and so it doesn't interfere with STS sales, the DTS will never be at it's peak unless it gets its own motor, which simply isn't that feasible.

RS5

January 5, 2009 1:32 AM

When I said 'tuned' I meant performanc-wise, not economy-wise. Engine's aren't made for the sole purpose of being efficient. They're made to provide power to move cars and I would assume a better hp/liter ratio is better. Efficiency is of secondary importance and when you're looking at higher end cars, pose much less of an issue. And it's not even like Mercedes vehicles have terrible fuel economies. You say "Escalade is a full sized luxury SUV. And here it is getting comparable numbers to the Mercedes "super efficient" blue tec models." Is the GL not a full-size luxury SUV like the Escalade? Another thing, the E 320 Bluetec has much better mileage than the Escalade, no comparison there. And the ML gets better highway mileage too. I don't know what you're trying to argue here with the Escalade hybrid. I honestly think that for a car labeled 'hybrid' 21/22 is pretty crappy.

RS5

January 5, 2009 1:37 AM

Anyway, the original argument was about the appeal of the CLS in comparison to that of Cadillacs. When you're in that price range, I think it's much more about power and performance than fuel economy, as most people who buy cars in this price range probably couldn't care less about MPG ratings. I think overall in style, performance, power etc.etc. the CLS would just overshadow any equally priced Cadillac.

Joe_Limon

January 5, 2009 2:52 AM

When you are an automotive manufacturer tuning is a game of compromise. Mercedes could have tuned purely for performance, what would have come out is a Ferrari style engine. That doesn't mean it would be the worlds best engine, just a compromise of different needs. Your opinion of what is good and bad tuning is useless, by holding performance so high, you would sacrifice engine life, fuel economy and price. That is honestly one of the most ignorant views you can hold towards "production cars". Do you know any other 5600lb hybrid vehicles? The GL gets its economy because it uses a 3L diesel and weighs 300lbs less, not a 6L gas engine, that isn't amazing, its simply common sense that it would get those numbers. Ok, now back to the original argument, I say nay it isn't just about how many hp/liter you can get while hauling your family around. It's about Safety, Comfort, Visual Appeal, Performance, Cost of running (both maintenance and cost of fuel), and price. Now I see Merc's as lacking so heavily in the Visual appeal that any performance advantage over it's competitors is negated. Whats left is an expensive vehicle that hasn't been tuned for efficiency as you say, and is sold purely because they use the same leather found in outrageously priced handbags. Take what you will from it, Merc's still don't make sense to me.

RS5

January 3, 2009 8:11 AM

The appeal of this car is mostly about style and performance and luxury, hence the name 'coupe', not sedan. Also, sitting in the rear seat comfortably isn't too difficult and personally I like the bucket seats as opposed to the bench seats in the E, not to mention that a four-zone climate control is standard (at least here in the US). But all that aside, I think there is a certain relative sleekness that comes out of this car's being a four-door rather than a two-door. I don't think it is possible to get such a visual effect out of a coupe, as four door cars are known to be rather bland in styling for the sake of practicality.

RS5

January 3, 2009 8:13 AM

Is it just me or do those rims look like 19 inch rims as opposed to 18s as suggested by WCF?

radmeister

January 3, 2009 11:53 PM

They are 18s, looked like 19s to me too so i raised the brightness on the photo of the wheel and you can see on the tire it says 245/40 R18 in the front. May just look like that, maybe it has a sports suspension pkg and is lower than the stock one and thats what gives that impression they are 19s.

BabyMilo

January 4, 2009 12:58 AM

Amazing looking car, i think it is a shame that they need to make a special edition to sell it...

michelin901

January 4, 2009 2:30 PM

why is it a shame? the cls has been around for years and its only natural they have a special edition towards the end of its lifeline. gorgeous car i must say. the face is startin to look dated but the rest of the bod still has it. after all the first 4dr coupe trendsetter. good job merc

benz_man

January 4, 2009 11:28 PM

Mercedes has offered other "Grand Editions". My fav, the 1999 W140 Grand Edition. I hope they continue. This one makes me wanna smog a CLS350 CGI GE over to the states... hehehe

_M7_

January 4, 2009 2:19 AM

I only like the first and only one...this others are just a cheap copy

ubercool

January 4, 2009 1:11 PM

CLS is looking old these days i'm afraid, hate the rear end more than ever, and the interior is dodgy aswell...

GmBHcarfanatic

January 4, 2009 10:51 PM

joe limon......... chill out. you're taking it too seriously.

radmeister

January 5, 2009 1:15 AM

Joe u truly are a poster child for GM, like are you seriously making the statement that a 6.2L vette is as fuel efficient as a 3L audi?? For one of course the vette will have comparable EPA ratings, its a roughly 3000lb car with a big engine that has a lot of low end torque, matched with long gearing. At 90km/h the vette in 6th gear is at 1200rpm, the audi would be if i had to guess 2500-3000rpm. Even though the 6.2L is bigger it's detonating less than half as much as the 3L. If you run both cars at 90km/h on the hwy and both at the same RPM the vette will be almost twice as bad. It's all about how you drive and what the car was designed for. One thing is for sure, the blue-tec is undoubtedly 100x more reliable than any north american car. Just like all previous E-class CDIs those cars just dont die, i have seen multiples of them with over 1 mil KM.

Joe_Limon

January 5, 2009 2:59 AM

Radmeister, no I am not a GM fan, I am a car fan, I like most brands and have say that regularly. How can you say blue tec is reliable? the first blue tec vehicles were released in 2007... and no, the numbers for comparing both the a4 quattro and vette were combined city and highway... not just holding at 90km/h I thought you would be smart enough to realize this. The only reason why I have been provoked is because I included Caddy in my BMW, Lexus, Audi list. If you ask me, most of the comments on this page are blind fanaticism and should be banned.

radmeister

January 5, 2009 2:57 PM

The Blue-tec is a CDI with an exhaust modification/add-on, not much is actually different on the engine. The audi 3.2 gets 19.4mpg City vs. 16mpg for the vette. And 30.5mpg on the hwy vs 26mpg for the vette. Combined it would be 25mpg vs. 21mpg. If you want to compare you'd have to look at lets say the S6 with the 5.2 V10, it gets 19mpg so a 2mpg difference between it and the vette which is much lighter and has a lower COD. We will have to wait for that engine to be put into the R8 but i predict it will get better than 21mpg. Realistically lets be serious, the downfall of American cars isn't their fuel consumption because they have relatively the same Displacement/hp/fuel ratios as european cars. The problem is everything else, don't get me wrong the CTS is a nice car, but it cannot touch the CLS on interior and build quality. Very rarely will your engine explode, sensors and electronics are what fail and cause you most of the problems, mechanically all cars are pretty good these days.

benz_man

January 5, 2009 8:50 PM

Wow, I'm an avid Mercedes enthusiast, but, their Bluetec range is brand-new. Like you stated, there aren't many mechanical changes to the engine, most are in software. However, the car as a whole is considerably more complex, with more components to EVERY system and sub-system. This inevitably makes the car "less reliable". Even with Audi's 3.2 you're comparing an almost brand-new design to a "tried and true" 50-year-old GM smallblock. I wonder who the winner will be...

radmeister

January 5, 2009 9:14 PM

The audi V6 has been around a while it's the VR6 motor with different heads. If you want to talk about heritage, the mercedes CDI has been around almost 100 years, because that engine is just as similar to the Blue-tec today as the 1950s smallblock is to the Lx line. Joe i trust the manufacturer's site more than that site, it doesn't even have photos for all the cars, and it says the audi is a 3.1L? Either way you put the 3.2 Auto vs 6.2 Auto and u get 20mpg v 18 so still a 2mpg spread.

benz_man

January 6, 2009 5:15 PM

The VR6 was changed substantially with the introduction of direct-injection. The CDI came around in the 90s. I believe 1997 in the US, don't quote me on that one. However, the small-block has been around (with constant updates) for 50+ years.

wheelieman

January 5, 2009 11:45 AM

Sorry Guys but it still looks like an armadillo to me..

radmeister

January 5, 2009 3:03 PM

On another note, i was watching tv and the new lincoln MKS commercial came on. Looks like a great car and i was anticipating a MRSP of around 30,000$....I laughed when they said "starting from only 45,999$" As if the car was worth 90k and they were giving it to you for half off. The next commercial was for the new Acura TL, starting MRSP 39,900$. So it's like you would have to be a douchebag to buy the MKS. It's stupid pricing things like this that is why GM/Ford are in trouble, i mean can you seriously justify paying more for the MKS? Or paying 35K for a Traverse??? That traverse with taxes and a few options ends up costing you over 45k....Thanks but no thanks, i'll take a Hyundai for 15k less.

Joe_Limon

January 5, 2009 5:29 PM

I don't know where your getting your numbers from, but mine look like this. A4 quattro, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25829 Corvette, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25201 And please the R8 has a pathetic engine... the "barbaric" srt8 charger gets more power and better fuel economy... http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25383 and... http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=25996

500lbman

January 5, 2009 5:41 PM

This argument comparing the CLS with any other car on the market is hilarious. The CLS is built for a different purpose than any other car. It is built for the high end coupe buyer that needs a bit more practicality than a true coupe can offer. It is built for cruising in comfort, luxury, and style. It is still understated as most German cars are, but carries serious road presence.

It is not built to get good gas mileage, handle best on the track, or go the fastest in a straight line. It fills a niche that no other offering on the market can fill, which is why Porsche, Aston Martin, Volkswagen, BMW, etc. have either shown concepts or are scheduled to release a car to compete with the CLS. The CLS is fantastic to drive, extremely comfortable, and is full of all the luxury amenitites and saftey features you expect from a high-line vehicle.

And I currently drive a BMW... the CLS is out of my price range

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