Mercedes-Benz CLS 500

Quite possibly! Simply put, the CLS Coupe could be described as a sporty E-class-inspired vehicle, which is little puzzling!

It conveys a strange perception - the CLS. Walking towards my test car, I was intrigued by this design concept and curious to see what was in the offering in terms of driving experience!

First thought that rises in mind on seeing that door behind the front door is curiosity, excitement, and doubt! Amalgamation of two differing design themes is to say the least, not an easy job. To be the first in the industry to attempt such a challenging task is not just being bold, but also taking a big risk.

Admittedly, never before have two different characters been combined as specifically and beautifully as in the CLS, where the stylistic excitement of a coupe harmonizes with that of a sedan. Traditionally coupes have been two door low-slung cars with little space for the back seat passengers being acceptable trade-offs, until folks at Stuttgart decided to turn the traditions away from the norms. With a low, stretched roofline, smaller window area, frameless windows, and high shoulder line, the CLS certainly conveys the sporty coupe feeling.

Inside, in the back seat, you need to tell yourself that this is a sports coupe and not a sedan. Nevertheless, the unintentional comparison of space and comfort the last time you were in the back seat of a luxury sedan does crop its head. Keeping that aside, given that the CLS is a four-door coupe, the rear passenger space has been intelligently carved out of the modified E class platform that it sits on.

Clearly the sleek and swoopy CLS lines are highly suggestive of speed, and If you opt for a CLS over the more staid E-Class saloon on which it is loosely based (the CLS has SL parts in its mechanical make-up too, notably the front suspension and the brakes), you're clearly the kind of person who likes the notion of motion, and the CLS 500 that we drove offered lot of motion. The muscular 8 cylinder unit rides on just over 300 horses while the newly developed smaller V6 engine of the CLS 350 cranks out 272 horsepower. The top of the range is the CLS 55 AMG whose 5.5-litre supercharged V8 is good for a brutal 475bhp.

This is where it's hearts that will open buyer's wallets, rather than heads. Compared to a sedan, the CLS has less internal space, is less practical and is more expensive. So why would anyone buy it? Time for another look at the pictures I think.