First of all, we had to look up the word "designo." It peppers the MB press release in such a way that it seems we'd missed something. Turns out Benz has an in-house line of designer trim levels which allow fashionistas to think they've bought something special. This CLS follows that tradition perfectly. It's outfitted with "exclusive" "avant-garde" matte paint, 18" AMG wheels, swiveling HID headlights, sporty aluminum and rubber pedals (to go with the automatic transmission), somehow superior seat leather and an Alcantara headliner which all the kids seem to like these days. Oh, we forgot, it has a "Grand Edition" badge on the fender.

The press release follows:

Mercedes-Benz CLS Grand Edition: Exclusive style, concentrated elegance and exciting lines

Stuttgart – 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 CLSGrand 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 CLSGrand 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.

Copyright © 2008, Daimler AG

[Sources: Mercedes Benz, EMercedesBenz]

That price is causing controversy. Not for how cheap it is, but how expensive. The CC starts at just $26,790 when equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo four and a six-speed manual. But the Passat, which the CC is based on, comes in at just $23,990. So to some, the CC is asking you to pay more for less; it only has four seats to the Passat’s five.

The thing about the CC is that it doesn’t deserve to be compared to the Passat, but instead to vehicles that cost much much more. Why? It offers a driving experience that’s at least equivalent to most entry- to mid-size luxury cars (there’s those damn categories again), classier looks, a larger interior, greater economy and doesn’t suffer from the image problems of it’s snobbier rivals.

The European luxury driving experience has come to be defined by two characteristics: sporting ability combined with cosseting quality. The driver of a BMW, Audi or Mercedes expects to be able to drive quickly everywhere from the highway to a winding mountain road, but doesn’t want to pay a comfort penalty for that ability. They want supportive seats, isolation from external noise and a comfortable ride. Recently, much of the involvement that always came hand-in-hand with speed has been sacrificed in the drive to make cars ever more capable and safer. The CC is no different. It’s as competent as an Audi A4, which is to say more fun than any Mercedes, but a little less involving than a BMW. One area where it distinguishes itself is in ride quality, which manages near total isolation without compromising handling ability.

The interior, too, leaves you thinking more high-end than entry-level. The fit and finish is top notch. Every button and lever is well-damped. Attractive accent lighting makes things look nice at night. Everything is as it seems; the chrome is actual chromed metal, the brushed aluminum actual aluminum and not a cheap plastic imitation. Wood is, thankfully, totally absent. The two-tone black and beige seen here is the most successful interior color scheme, accentuating both the attractive shape of the dash and the seats which, in the rear, are the CC’s defining characteristic. There are two supportive buckets separated by a console. That arrangement means that sitting in back is as appealing as sitting up front, but it also means the car sacrifices the ability to carry five people. The sloping roof, a characteristic of these four-door coupes, does impinge a bit on headroom, but I’m 6’2” and could sit back there all day without an issue.

So we’ve covered what the CC does as well as its more expensive alternatives; now let’s talk about what it does better. For one, when equipped with that base engine (there’s also a 3.6-liter V6 with 280 HP) it’s capable of returning 31 MPG on the highway while still managing the 0-to-60 sprint in 6.7 seconds. That back seat? Not only does it have more space than the A4 (or 3-series or C-class) that it drives like — I could cross my legs — but it has more headroom than a CLS, in which the ceiling flattens my beautiful hair.

Then there’s the looks. While not as striking as the Audi A4 or A5, the CC is a hell of a lot less awkward than the CLS or any current BMW. It’s understated — there’s not even a CC badge —and handsome, but utterly unassuming. People don’t know what to make of it. One on hand, there’s the VW badge, which means it’s a cheap car, but on the other its shape is well proportioned and evokes quality. It looks expensive.

Probably the best thing about the CC isn’t the way that it drives or how nice the interior is, but its price. At $26,970 you get a car equipped with everything necessary to take on rivals costing twice as much, but also the economy of cars costing a little less. We’re not sure what category it fits in other than this one: cars that we can wholeheartedly recommend buying.

Understated but masterly neatly sums up the result of the restyling programme for the CLS. At the front, it is the modified radiator grille that stands out, with two louvres now instead of the previous four. The diamond-shaped, three-dimensional grilles painted in atlas grey that cover the air intakes project an even greater air of self-assurance as well as adding further emphasis to the vehicle's width. The exterior mirrors have also been given a new look. The LED side indicator lamps that are built into them are arranged in the form of an arrow to produce a most eye-catching effect, especially in the dark. The mirror surface has furthermore been enlarged by 32 per cent to afford a clearer view of the traffic behind and thereby boost active safety.

The side view is dominated by new, attractively styled light-alloy wheels, measuring either 17 inches (CLS 280, CLS 320 CDI and CLS 350 CGI) or 18 inches (CLS 500) in diameter. When viewed from the rear, the new-generation CLS makes its mark with a new rear apron, new tail lights, as well as modified tailpipes. The centre section of the rear bumper now drops down further, while the additional light-catching contour running along it adds to the impression of breadth. This is further emphasised by the exhaust tailpipes, which are trapezoidal in shape, and not oval as before. LED technology is now deployed for the tail lights: the brake lamps, tail lamps and indicator lamps all make use of the extra-fast-reacting light-emitting diodes. Just like the side indicators in the exterior mirrors, the rear indicators look like arrows when they light up, which is particularly striking in the dark. The same is true of the optical fibres at the side, which are always activated whenever the low-beam headlamps are switched on.
A new deactivation function for the low-beam headlamps when the ignition is switched off helps to optimise energy management.
The new bodywork details harmonise perfectly with the multi-award-winning design of the CLS and make the four-door Coupé always look as if it is about to dash off. Almost four years on from its world premiere, the electrifying, muscular lines of the trendsetter are as unique and as unmistakable as ever.

New inside: three-spoke steering wheel and new telematics generation
Great attention to detail was paid while updating the interior too: modifications include a restyled leather steering wheel in a three-spoke design with multifunction buttons, as well as a new-look instrument cluster, whose white dials now contrast distinctly with the chased surface of the backplate. The previous matt laurel colour scheme has been replaced with new chestnut wood trim elements.

The CLS features the new NTG 2.5 telematics generation, whose high-performance componentry combines straightforward operation and logical menu navigation with flawless in-vehicle entertainment. Features include speed-sensitive volume control, a keypad for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies, an MP3-compatible CD and DVD player, as well as a Bluetooth interface which can establish a wireless connection between a mobile phone and the vehicle's hands-free system.

The Audio 20, Audio 20 CD with CD changer, Audio 50 and Audio 50 APS with DVD changer and LINGUATRONIC voice control system have now been upgraded to a 5-inch colour screen. The COMAND APS comes with a high-resolution 6.5-inch colour display, LINGUATRONIC for audio, navigation and telephone calls, a music register for storing audio files, plus an SD memory card slot.

CLS 280: new entry-level engine variant with 170 kW/231 hp
The CLS 280 is equipped with a new entry-level engine, a sophisticated V6 powerplant with a displacement of 2996 cc developing a peak output of 170 kW/231 hp and a maximum torque of 300 Newton metres. This propels the CLS 280 from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds and gives it a top speed of 245 km/h. Combined fuel consumption on the NEDC driving cycle is 9.8 - 10.0 litres per 100 kilometres. The second V6 petrol model in the range is the CLS 350 CGI. Its advanced six-cylinder engine featuring piezoelectric direct injection and spray-guided combustion generates 215 kW/292 hp and returns impressively low fuel consumption figures of 9.1 to 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined). Under the bonnet of the CLS 500 is a V8 drive unit with a displacement of 5.5 litres and a maximum output of 285 kW/388 hp. What makes the CLS 320 CDI with its 165-kW/224-hp V6 diesel engine especially thrilling is the formidable torque of 540 Newton metres on the one hand and, on the other, low fuel consumption of just 7.6 - 8.1 litres of diesel for every 100 km (NEDC combined).
All CLS models are equipped with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission as standard. In the manual shift mode "M", the driver is able to shift through the gears using shift paddles on the steering wheel if desired. This shortens the 0-100 km/h acceleration time by 0.2 seconds.
All CLS models can be embellished by the addition of the AMG bodystyling package: this comprises a prominent front apron with large air intakes, a beefy rear apron featuring a black insert, as well as side skirts. There is also the option of new AMG 19-inch light-alloy wheels in a high-sheen finish with either 255/35 or 285/30 tyres.
Interested customers can place their orders for the new CLS now. The gross purchase prices for the new CLS are as follows:
• CLS 280: Euro 55,692.00
• CLS 320 CDI: Euro 59,321.50
• CLS 350 CGI: Euro 61,404.00
• CLS 500: Euro 75,053.30
• CLS 63 AMG: Euro 106,624.00

[via Motor Authority]