|
|
The new Mercedes-Benz CL-Class The launch of the new CL-Class in autumn 2006 will be the culmination of a Mercedes-Benz coupé tradition going back over 50 years. The two-door model combines peerless exclusivity and charismatic design with the sort of cutting-edge technology that no other manufacturer can match worldwide. The luxury Coupé raises the bar in terms of vehicle safety with the PRE-SAFE® brakes: the unique system automatically brakes the Coupé before an imminent rear-end collision. Furthermore, Mercedes innovations such as the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension system, the Intelligent Light System with five light-ing functions and PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection all come as standard. Two powerful engines with 8 or 12 cylinders are available, delivering a notable increase in output and torque. Thanks to their exemplary smoothness they also live up to the Mercedes heritage of superb motoring refinement. The large Mercedes Coupés have been synonymous with style and exclusivity in the automotive industry for decades. They set the standard in terms of design and equipment, combine exemplary safety with an outstanding level of comfort and assured handling. In short, Mercedes Coupés are extraordinary dream cars - automobile classics.
The new CL-Class is another Mercedes-Benz masterpiece. Just as the luxury coupé points the way to the future with its innovative technology, the design has also set the
mould for a new Mercedes style. Its hallmark is the interaction between distinctive tightly drawn lines with large, unruffled surfaces. This design idiom lends the Coupé its
own particular expressive power, emphasising the calm and power of its powerful, self-confident nature.
Interior: equipment for even the most discerning driver Style finds its way into the interior too: the large side window aperture draws the eye to the stylish dashboard, exquisite wood trim and soft leather upholstery. In an instant
you realise that everything in the interior of the new CL-Class is designed for comfort and relaxation. The atmosphere is reminiscent of an exclusive club: take a seat and
enjoy. Five stylish colour combinations are available; automatic climate control, COMAND with car radio and CD/DVD player as well as a glass sunroof are all part of the
standard specification, elements that come together to deliver a unique motoring and comfort experience.
Compared with the outgoing model, the new Mercedes-Benz top-of-the-range coupé has grown slightly in every dimension. 5065 millimetres long, 1871 millimetres wide and 1418 millimetres high, the body is 75 millimetres longer, 14 millimetres wider and 20 millimetres higher than before, providing even more comfort and space on all four seats. The boot capacity has been increased by 40 litres to 490 litres (VDA measuring method).
Control system: fewer switches for more functions A newly developed control system, which has already been successfully implemented in the S Class worldwide, refines driver-vehicle interaction even further. Above all, it provides convenient, rapid access to frequently used functions such as car radio, DVD player, car phone or navigation system. Depending on the driver's own preference, these systems can be controlled using switches in the centre console, pressing a button on the multifunction steering wheel or using the COMAND controller on the centre console. This central control unit is linked to the large, pivoting COMAND colour display next to the instrument cluster, providing access to the user-friendly main and sub-menus that activate the various functions. The standard-fit automatic climate control with four independently adjustable temperature zones is also integrated into the new control system. The driver and front
passenger can select temperature, air distribution and other settings either using the COMAND controller and menu-based control, or by means of an attractively styled
switch array beneath the air vents. The COMAND system allows other individual climate settings to be adjusted such as air distribution and the footwell temperature.
Active Body Control: the perfect combination of dynamism and comfort The standard specification in the new Mercedes Coupé features technological innovations that no other manufacturer can match anywhere in the world. First and foremost is the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension system, which in its latest, even more sophisticated guise delivers unprecedented handling dynamics while offering an equally appreciable improvement in ride comfort. Based on sensor signals and using specially designed hydraulic cylinders at the axles, ABC all but entirely eliminates the customary pitch and roll of the body that occur when moving off, cornering and braking. ABC responds with split-second speed to ensure the body damping is adjusted instantly to any situation. At speeds above 60 km/h, ABC lowers the body by up to ten millimetres to reduce drag and improve handling stability.
Intelligent Light System: five lighting functions to match driving and weather conditions The Intelligent Light System, which makes driving even safer in the dark, is equally unique. Together with bi-xenon headlamps it forms part of the standard specification for the new CL-Class and provides five different lighting functions that are activated to match driving and weather conditions: the new country road mode illuminates the driver's-side edge of the road more widely and brightly than the existing low-beam headlamps. Motorway mode, which comes on automatically when driving above 90 km/h, delivers a uniform cone of light that illuminates the entire road width. In the centre of this cone the driver is able to see around 50 metres further. The enhanced fog lamps are also new, which Mercedes-Benz uses to provide better orientation in adverse weather conditions. Active light function and cornering light function are also part of the standard-fit Intelligent Light System on the CL Class. PRE-SAFE®: automatic partial braking before an impending accident Mercedes-Benz is the world's first car brand to develop an anticipatory occupant protection system that recognises a potential accident situation in its early stages and
takes anticipatory occupant protection measures: PRE-SAFE® is standard-fit on the new CL-Class. During emergency braking or when skidding is imminent, the system moves
the passenger seat into the most favourable position so that seat belts and airbags have maximum effect on impact. It also inflates air cushions in the dynamic
multicontour seats (standard in the CL 600), which envelop and support the driver and front passenger. PRE-SAFE® also closes the side windows and the sunroof in critical situations where high lateral dynamics are generated.
Engines: eight and twelve-cylinder powerplants with noticeably more power The new luxury Coupé is ready for any challenge on motorways and rural roads thanks to Mercedes' most powerful engines to date. The eight-cylinder powerplant in the CL
500 delivers 285 kW/388 hp and generates a maximum torque of 530 Newton metres from 2800 rpm. As such the newly developed engine outperforms the existing V8 unit
by 26 percent in terms of output and 15 percent when it comes to torque. Equipped with four-valve technology, variably adjustable shifting camshafts, a two-stage intake
module and tumble flaps in the intake ducts, the new V8 is among the most advanced, powerful engines in its displacement class. The CL 500 accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds (previous model: 6.3 seconds).
Tradition: seven generations of the Mercedes-Benz Coupé The new CL-Class ushers in the seventh generation of the large Mercedes Coupés. The two-door model replaces the world-beating outgoing model, which joins the ranks of
the best-selling luxury coupés with around 46,800 units sold. The history of the large Mercedes Coupés stretches back to 1952 when Mercedes Benz launched the legendary
300 S Coupé - a "car for the world's elite" was the verdict of the motoring press in its day. In 1956 it was followed by the 220 S Coupé as part of the W 180 model series,
which fired the public's imagination with its unitised "Pon-toon" body in particular. And in 1961 the220 SEb Coupé (W 111 model series) took up the baton with its stylish elongated body.
|
|
|