Launched back in 2010, at the Paris Motor Show, the second generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLS is about to get under the knife later this year, as a mid-cycle refresh has been in preparation for quite a while now.
Designed by Hubert Lee, the sexy four-door coupe trend-setter will not receive a major facelift as far as the exterior goes, with only a couple of nip and tucks to be carried on it.
The front will receive slightly restyled headlights - sporting a new LED technology that was announced back in 2013 – a slightly more upright engine grille and a restyled bumper.
The rear, on the other hand, will remain quasi-identical to the current version, with only the bumper to be mildly-restyled, while the taillights get an improved arrangement of the LEDs.
As far as the model's interior goes, the new free-standing screen for the Comand infotainment system is introduced, finally offering a much larger viewing area. While previous spy photos didn't seem to also include the presence of the new touchpad controller, it is believed that the CLS (C218) facelift will get it as an option, with the color head-up display to be featured as well.
Engine-wise, there won't be too many changes, but the CLS 350 version will disappear from the lineup, as it will be replaced by the CLS 400 – powered by the new M278 DELA 30 twin-turbocharged V6 with 333 hp and 480 Nm (354 lb ft) of torque.
The facelifted CLS will also be the second Mercedes-Benz to feature the new 9G-Tronic hyper-efficient transmission, but it is unclear at this point which engines will get it apart from the three-liter diesel.
Expect an official reveal of the car sometime in September, with the 2014 edition of the Paris Motor Show to act as the launch venue.
Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project. Full profile
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