2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS officially revealed

Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz released a batch of images showing off the front of the 2015 CLS. Now, the German manufacturer has officially revealed the facelift, ahead of its public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 26.

While the 2015 CLS has been spied on many instances bearing heavy camouflage, this is the first time Mercedes-Benz has given us a glimpse of the car in its bare form. Internally called C218, the new CLS gets a few cosmetic updates to the exterior, which is inspired by the new C-Class, to set it apart from its predecessor. The car though, retains the overall design and its unique roofline which makes it easily identifiable as a CLS. The front gets a new chromed grille which resembles the ones in the CLA and the GLA45 AMG. It also gets a redesigned bumper with different fog lamps housing as well as new body skirts.

The biggest highlight of the new CLS though, is the new Multibeam LED headlamps. The headlamps are made of 24 individually controlled LEDs which provide optimum illumination. The light distribution is managed by four control units which judge the road conditions with the help of a camera mounted behind the windscreen. Mercedes-Benz claims that the headlamps illuminate area upto 485 metres and can mask them to prevent blinding the drivers in the oncoming traffic.

Inside, besides some tweaks, the new CLS will also get a new eight-inch screen mounted on the dashboard, just like the one present in the A-Class and B-Class. It will be equipped with the latest version of Mercedes’ COMAND Online system with NTG 5.0. The infotainment system can sync with your cell phone and also supports HD voice telephony.

The new CLS will be globally offered in no less than seven variants, ranging from the basic 168bhp CLS 220 BlueTEC to a performance-focussed 578bhp S edition. The engine sends power to the rear wheels though either a standard seven-speed automatic or the new 9G Tronic gearbox.

Besides its traditional rivals like the Audi A7 and the BMW 6 Series, the CLS also goes up against other conventional luxury sedans like the Audi A8 and the BMW 7 Series. Globally, the interest in this niche segment has been steadily increasing due to the combination of luxury, performance and extremely good coupe-esque looks these cars offer. But due to its positioning and the proximity to other luxury sedans, the CLS isn’t one of the German manufacturer’s best-sellers in the Indian market. The new CLS is expected to be launched in India a few months after it goes on sale in Europe.