2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS: Price Expectation

Mercedes' product offensive continues in the Indian market and this time around it's the new generation of the CLS. This is not the first time the company is bringing the CLS to India. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has brought the previous two generations to India too and though they might have not sold in India with the same volumes as the other cars from the company's stable, it's got a fair bit of fan following and sales. The 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS is luxurious and will take on the likes of the Audi A7 and the BMW 6 Series GranCoupe in India along with the likes of the more expensive Porsche Panamera and Maserati Ghibli. So we expect prices to be north of Rs. 85 lakh.

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz CLS Launched In India At Rs. 84.7 Lakh

In its third generation, the new Mercedes-Benz CLS is more in line with the company's current design language. It gets a more aggressive face and the longer bonnet looks imposing now. The new LED DRLs and the slimmer grille draw inspiration from the AMG GT Coupe.

What it hasn't lost out on is the design which made it unique. The CLS still comes with the swooping coupe-like roofline that extends into the fastback boot lid. You can't help but notice the new tail lamps too which are slightly different, however, the pronounced shoulder line blends well into the flat rear end of the car and that's very typically a CLS.

Mercedes-Benz says the CLS's split tail-lights, rear bumper reflectors, registration plate location at the rear and the logo at the centre of the boot-lid are design elements shared with all coupe models. The cabin takes inspiration the E and S-Class with a dual 12.3-inch display for the driver's instruments and infotainment system dominating the dashboard while the turbine-like air vents, along with lashings of leather, wood and metal up the luxury quotient on the car.

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS will come with a diesel engine only at first

The new Mercedes-Benz CLS will be launched in India with a diesel engine - CLS300d, which is essentially the same BS6 compliant engine that is now available on the updated and facelift C-Class that was launched recently.

Here Are The Features Expected On The Mercedes-Benz CLS

But the biggest talking points are the new driver-assistance technologies on the CLS, all of which trickle down from the S-Class flagship. So standard across the range are autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, speed limit assist and the Pre-Safe occupant protection system. Pre-Safe Sound technology is also standard for the first time, preparing passengers' hearing for the sensory assault of an accident when a collision is imminent. Customers can also opt for Driving Assistance Package for adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, active speed limit assist, active blind-spot assist and active lane-keeping assist. The folks at Mercedes-Benz say that the upgraded radar and camera systems mean the new CLS has a better 'view' of surrounding traffic, while using map and navigation data to calculate driving behaviour. However, we wait to see if this makes it into the car that will be launched tomorrow.