The latest from the Mercedes stable ? the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class four-door coup? ? first grabbed eyeballs when it was launched at the beginning of October 2004. Now, less than a year later, Mercedes has seen it fit to bring the car to India as a CBU import. And in what should be more exciting news for car-lovers, there?s little that is conventional about the German company?s latest offering. In a bid to tempt buyers away from conventional luxury two-door cars, the CLS-Class offers coup? styling ? but with four doors. With this, the company seeks to combine the innate stylishness of a coup? with the practicality of a saloon car.

One look at the car and it?s easy to see that the designers got their cues from what a coup? should be ? dynamic, well-proportioned and elegant. This can be seen from the front and rear overhangs that extend the bodywork. Viewed from the side, the large doors together with the frameless side windows and a general low-lying appearance make the CLS look like a coup?. The front-end is different too, thanks to the headlights, though the familiar element creeps in by way of the brand?s typical slatted radiator grille with a centrally-positioned Mercedes star. The high waistline of the coup?, which gives it a solidity only Mercedes cars tend to have, is emphasised by the shoulder line which rises from the rounded front wheel arch to end at the rear light cluster. The roofline is another striking feature ? a gentle but sweeping arc. The dimensions of the CLS are as follows: 4,913mm long, 1,873mm wide and 1,390mm tall with a wheelbase (distance between the front and rear wheel centres) of 2,854mm. The boot of the new CLS-Class holds up to 505 litres of luggage, very unusual for a coup? but par for the course for a saloon.

If luxury is the name of the game outside, the interiors are equally plush with an interplay of attractive colours and high-quality materials, as well as a balanced impression of spaciousness. The instrument cluster includes a large dial-type, centrally located speedometer and a tachometer. There are two outer graphic displays for displaying fuel level and coolant temperature. The centrepiece of the fascia of course, is the multi-function steering wheel, pretty much a given in Mercedes cars today. Also standard is the AIRMATIC DC air suspension, THERMOTRONIC luxury climate control and 18-inch light-alloy wheels with 245/40 R 18 tyres.

Fire up the 5.0-litre, three valves-per-cylinder V8 engine and the CLS truly comes into its own. With 306bhp and 450 Nm of torque at its command, power in this car is transmitted via the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission with a ?manual? option. This seven-speed automatic has plenty of advantages over a five-speed box. It allows a wider spread of ratios, reducing the differences in engine speed between the individual gears achieved by the five-speed transmission. As a result, the driver can rely on having the optimum ratio at his or her disposal for virtually any driving situation. And that?s not all. The electronic control unit optimises the shift processes to achieve lower fuel consumption and greater comfort.

For example, at 100 km/hr, the engine speed will be on average ? depending on the driving situation ? around 12 per cent lower than with a five-speed automatic. Mercedes claims a 0-100 kmph acceleration time of 6.1 seconds, impressive by any standards given the weight of the car. An electronically-controlled intake module increases the available torque in the lower engine speed range, ensuring that the engine immediately responds to the driver?s power requirements, be it in town or on country roads.

The CLS 500 has a four-link suspension, AIRMATIC DC full air suspension system with level control, anti-dive at front and a multi-link independent suspension, AIRMATIC DC full air suspension system with level control, anti-squat and anti-dive at the rear. Braking is effected by the Sensotronic Brake Control, a electro-hydraulically controlled braking system, with both front and rear disc brakes internally ventilated. It also has ABS anti-lock braking with Brake Assist. All this to ensure the CLS comes to a dead stop quickly, especially in an emergency. The parking brake is at the rear and is a separate drum-type brake.

As expected, Mercedes cars do not come cheap and one of the reasons for this is the emphasis laid on occupant safety. In fact, in terms of safety, Mercedes has been at the forefront of technology. Not surprisingly, the CLS has been equipped with the latest safety systems such as adaptive front airbags, window airbags and side airbags, as well as belt pre-tensioners and belt force limiters on all seats. That?s passenger safety for you! For dynamic safety, the CLS features ESP or Electronic Stability Program as standard. Then there is the passive safety built into the car. It has large deformation (crumple) zones that not only crumple but also direct the energy of forces in a collision away from the cars occupants.

The passenger cell in the CLS is designed to withstand all kinds of accident situations ? frontal or rear collisions, side impacts or rollovers ? and provides a very high level of occupant protection even at high-impact speeds. If the speed at the time of collision is more than 15 km/hr, safety is ensured by the design of the structural members ? robust steel sections above the wheel arches and the lower side members in the front-end structure. If the CLS is in a frontal collision with a one-sided overlap, the special impact-absorbing elements in front of the side brace the wheels so that impact forces are transferred to the lateral body structure.

With the best safety technology, a mean engine and no-holds-barred luxury, the CLS is proof enough of Mercedes? formidable reputation as a trendsetter in the automotive world.

Road rage

Madhumanti Maitra
television personality

nAny mother will understand what I mean when I say that kids, no matter how much you warn them, are still careless about following road rules. This is a constant worry especially when one considers the rash driving on the roads.

Also, there’re drivers who have no regard for animal life — in fact, some truck drivers take sadistic pleasure in running over dogs.

Another problem is the kind of intimidation one has to face from bus and truck drivers. Even if you’re in the right, you always have to take a backseat. It’s terribly unfair, which is why so many people end up losing their tempers while driving, leading to accidents. This is a phenomenon the police and traffic department should study and take preventive measures about.

I drive rarely as I’m scared of the traffic here. And yes, the perception that female drivers are incompetent, does exist. It’s one that cuts across all class barriers. That said, however, I think it’s true of both men and women. After all, not all male drivers are of F1 calibre!