What’s immediately clear from when you breeze past the first corner in the new Mercedes CLS 350 is that though it is based on the current E-class, it delivers driving experience that surpasses its donor. Wider dimensions give this car amazing stability around corners and the bulkiness of its 1735kg seems to shrink. If that impresses you, try the sport mode, where the Airmatic suspension lowers the ride height further and stiffens up giving you tighter control.

The direct, electromechanical steering lacks feel; however, it is very precise and that makes it easy to place the immense CLS into corners quite easily, even at triple digit speeds. That’s not to say that more weight and feedback wouldn’t have been welcome. Sharper corners are where the CLS betrays its light car feel, push it hard and the bulky car understeers with the ESP cutting in rapidly. Get carried away and take your eyes off the clocks, and you’ll find yourself at speeds worryingly close to the two-tonne mark. That’s why more bite and feel from the first few millimetres of brake travel would have been nice too.

It may be called a 350 like the E-class, but this motor is different. Developing a much healthier 306bhp and 37kgm of torque, this creamy-smooth, direct-injection engine has ample power right from 1500rpm. A light dab of the accelerator sends the CLS rolling forward smoothly. Press down with greater urgency and the motor hauls you forward briskly, and like all very torquey motors, the resulting change often pins your head to headrest. The 7G-tronic gearbox, however, is a bit slow on the downshift and using the paddles can be a bit frustrating at times. All put together, the CLS manages 0-100kph in a claimed 6.95 seconds, which is plenty quick.

The new C218 CLS is attention grabbing in a technical and futuristic manner. While the last CLS’ design could be represented with just a few light strokes, the new CLS has a frenzy of highlights and a barrage of hectic lines. There is plenty of muscle here and the low roof, tight-fitting boot and the LED lamps give it a presence you just can’t ignore. Taking it easy in the CLS is quite rewarding too. In Comfort mode, a thick carpet seems to cushion the ride and passengers are not tossed around. However, some thuds over deep ruts do reveal an underlying stiffness.

What’s great is that passengers won’t feel short-changed in the CLS. It exudes a dignified ambience, the rear seats are sculpted to feel almost like bucket seats, and though there is space only for two in the rear, this is a genuinely usable backseat that offers great under thigh support. It doesn’t hurt that the CLS has almost the same amount of legroom in the rear as an S-Class. However, headroom is in short supply and the low roof demands some dexterity when getting in or out.

The new CLS is very attractive to look at, very quick both in a straight line and around corners, and it is very comfortable and refined as well. It is beautifully built, will stand out as something special in any parking lot and the Rs 71.1-lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), price isn’t too bad either, considering this car looks like it could cost upwards of a crore.

spec check

MERCEDES-BENZ CLS350

• Price: Rs 71.1 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai)
• Engine: 6 cyls, in-vee, 3498cc/ front, longitudinal
• Power: 306bhp at 6500rpm
• Torque: 37.7kgm at 3500-5250rpm
• Suspension (F/R): MacPherson strut, air suspension/ multi-link, air suspension
• Brakes (F/R): Vented discs/ discs

Photographs by Rajeev Gaikwad