Last First Gen Mercedes CLS Rolls Off

The last of the first... German manufacturer Mercedes Benz announced this week it has rolled off the assembly lines of the Sindelfingen plant the last unit of the first generation CLS model. The ceremony, if it can be considered as such, was very limited, as the plant will now gear up to receive the second generation CLS in the months to come.

According to Worldcarfans, the last CLS model was a CLS550 which will be shipped to the US. The car features an AMG package, premium leather upholstery and bi-xenon headlights.

The new interpretation of the CLS, is set to be presented at the 2010 Motor Show this fall, bringing with it much of the (still) revolutionary design elements seen on the first generation. The car will be boasting changes to the light clusters, bumpers, skirts or minor lines, but not to the overall design.

The engine lineup however will get a major overhaul. Although many details are still unknown, it is likely the model will come packing the regular petrol V6s and V8s, but also the hybrid system used on the S400 BlueHybrid.

Fitted on the S400, the system uses a 3.5l 279 hp petrol engine, mated to an electric motor which develops 20 horsepower and a starting torque of 160 Nm.

The new CLS will also get an AMG version, one of which will use AMG's 5.5l engine developing around 544 horsepower. The unit will likely be paired with the SpeedShift MCT 7-speed transmission. The famous 6.2l engine now fitted on the 2010 E63 and CLS 63 AMG will likely not be used for the AMG version.