Mercedes Benz had replaced its CLK with the E-Class coupe that marked the beginning of the German luxury car maker’s new nomenclature though it was believed the new refreshed 2011 CL-Class would be provided with a S-Class Coupe moniker. But that is not to be for the CL coupe that got a minor face lift along with a new bi-turbo V8 engine as per a mid life upgrade package for the car.
For the exterior, the front bumpers have been re-designed so that they now incorporates LED strips lined with chrome for the daytime running lights. Then there is the hood that has been reshaped along with new headlamps and a new grille that is more V shaped. Rear bumpers too have undergone restyling which now has been fitted with LED turn indicators and position marker lamps along with new tail lamp cluster.
Moving over to the interior, the multifunction steering wheel has been done up with leather and wood. This along with the use of higher quality trim materials together with new exciting color options and extra ambient light spots rounds off the picture in the interior.
A new 4.7 liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine featuring BlueDIRECT technology occupies pride of place under the hood of the CL 500, which is going to be christened CL550 in the United States. Transmission duty is performed by the car maker’s revised seven speed automatic gearbox that comes integrated with stop-start system along with brake energy recuperation system.
Power output from the eight cylinder engine has gone up by 12 percent in comparison to the engine that it replaces so that it now produces 429 hp. The power generated by the previous model was 382 hp. There has been an increase in torque by 32 percent which stands at 516 lb ft from the previous 391 lb ft. The engine also has a 10-15 percent improvement in its fuel efficiency and had better CO2 emission rating at 23 percent.
Both the versions, that is the CL500 and the CL550 4MATIC accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph (62 mph) is 4.9 seconds which is a betterment of 0.5 seconds from the previous version of the car.
The CL600 model on the other hand has an even better acceleration figure of 0 to 100 kmph (62 mph) is 4.5 seconds, thanks to its 12 cylinder biturbo engine producing 510 horse power and 612 lb ft of torque. Top speeds for both the cars have been electronically limited to 250 kmph.
There is the CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG that Mercedes is going to usher out this year which would have even greater power than the models being reviewed here.
Safety features installed on this car are the new Active Lane Keeping Assist safety feature. This system uses a camera which is fitted to the inside of the car windshield and a radar system. The radar system scans the road side and gently applies brake in case it find the car deviating from its prescribed lane.
The 2011MY CL-Class is expected to make its way to showrooms in the autumn of 2010.
Source: carscoop
