IT is just as easy to design a gorgeous car as it is a dumpy one. Or so I'm told by car-company executives.
Beauty, however, is often lost in the translation from concept car to what rolls off the production line.

Not so the Mercedes-Benz CLS500 "coupe."
First shown as the Vision CLS concept car at the 2004 Los Angeles auto show, the four-door CLS has the fast roofline of a coupe but the accessibility of a sedan.

The concept car was a knockout, people loved it, Mercedes gave it the green light for production and nearly 90 percent of the concept design made it into real life.

"It's a car that hits the essence of creativity and innovation," says Ray Addison, product specialist at Mercedes-Benz.

"With its sweeping lines and heavy B-pillar, it is very coupe-like. With the four full-size doors and sizable trunk space, it is a sedan," he says. "It doesn't make too many compromises to the owner."
If there are crossover SUVs, why not a crossover coupe-sedan?

"The designers set out to create a car that hasn't been experienced yet, and established a new niche in the industry," Addison says.
The high-performance CLS55 AMG comes with a hand-built, 5.5 litre supercharged V-8 rated at 469 horsepower, a SpeedShift five-speed automatic, racing brakes, sport suspension with three levels of damping and an aerodynamic body kit.

Mercedes isn't expecting mainstream sales numbers for the CLS "coupe," just 10,000 to 18,000 this first year. And despite the car's appealing beauty, it is not being considered as a long-term model.
"We are very confident the CLS will be successful, but after seven years there may or may not be a successor. We'll see what happens," Addison says.

Using the E-Class sedan as a foundation, there's plenty of room to exceed expectations in the CLS.
Addison is correct when he says: "There is something about CLS that makes you want to drive it and be seen in it."

The lines are strong, appealing to both sexes. The driving experience is solid and soundproofed, except for the precision-tuned wail of the V-8 at full throttle and the call of the dual chrome-tipped exhaust.

The CLS in Europe has options for diesel and V-6 engines, but only a V-8 is offered in the United States. The 302 horsepower V-8 and seven-speed SportShift automatic transmission give forceful acceleration and responsible fuel economy, 17 mpg city, 25 highway.

Steering inputs are responsive and light to the touch. The leather-wrapped wheel takes just 2.8 turns from lock to lock and the turning circle fits in the footprint of a much smaller car.
Giving the CLS four doors makes it easy to slip behind the wheel and get comfortable. Coupe doors typically are long and make entry and exit awkward in tight spaces.

The sculpted cockpit has the wraparound feel of a coupe, but without restriction. It is snug, not cramped. Despite the slim ellipse of rear glass, sightlines aren't bad for the driver.

Interior styling is artful and accommodating, though the array of buttons the driver must navigate for audio and air appears overwhelming at first glance. The layout is similar to any large Mercedes, but mastering the procedure gets simpler after just a few days in the car.

The four-seat format allows generous back-seat hip, leg and elbow room. However, passengers much taller than six-foot-two back there might have to slouch to clear the headliner. A distinctive center console separates the seats and spans front to back, providing plenty of storage.

Mercedes may call the CLS a coupe, but I saw it as a sedan - and drove it like a sports car.
- Copley News Service

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