Mercedes no longer alone for luxury
There are few cars that scream, “Look at how well-off I am” than a large, European four-door coupe. Not only do they carry all the luxury badge cachet of their sedan counterparts, they’re also a claim of individuality, with real flair.
For a long time, Mercedes-Benz largely had the segment to itself after it launched the CLS in Australia in 2004.
Based on the E-Class, the swoopy-roofed stunner has long been popular with those looking to stand out from the rest of the executive crowd.
But it no longer exists in isolation as it now faces stiff competition from the likes of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe and the CLS’ rival, the Audi A7 Sportback, which first arrived in 2011.
The CLS we tested is the CLS 500, which sits below only the maniacal CLS 63 AMG S in the model’s pecking order.
It has a 4.7-litre bi-turbo V8 sending 300kW and 600Nm to the rear wheels, paired with a new nine-speed automatic transmission.
Now, some may think the similarly twin-turbo V8 Audi S7 would be a more relevant competitor, but as the A7 biturbo quattro we tested is also the second-top option in the A7 line-up, it’s a worthy comparison.
