Merc has been making the CLS-Class since the early 2000's, dropping the first-gen with a debut at the 2004 New York International Auto Show. Framed as a sleek sedan packing top-shelf luxury, a sporty exterior, and no shortage of power under the hood, Merc quickly ushered in the go-faster AMG iteration at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. The second-generation CLS arrived in 2011, with a hot-to-trot AMG 63 hot on its heels. Now, there's a third-gen model on the table, with the latest CLS dropping at the 2017 Los Angeles Show. As is tradition, Mercedes brought along a new AMG iteration as well, introducing the new 53-Series model alongside two other high-powered luxury rides from the boffins at AMG, including the 53-Series AMG E-Class Coupe and the E-Class Cabriolet, all of which arrived in style at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. All told, the latest AMG CLS 53 4Matic comes packing with superlative Mercedes-Benz styling, the latest technology in the cabin, a high-performance attitude, and all the requisite power to back it.

The new four-door coupe also comes a supplementary electric system that adds a good deal of low-end torque on demand, a feature that makes the heavy-hitting luxury cruiser even more frisky when you dig into the skinny pedal. “With the new 53-series models we are extending our portfolio in a first step towards a hybridised future with a leading-edge combination of sporty design, performance and efficiency,” says Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management at Mercedes-AMG GmbH. Sounds good. But how good is it, really? Read on for all the details.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2019 Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4MATIC.

Exterior

When it comes to the underlying philosophy driving the CLS-Series, there seems to be two main schools of thought – the first is elegance and refinement, which is to be expected considering the three-pointed star badge fixed to the nose. The other half of the equation is power and performance, both traits that get triple underlined when dealing with something from AMG.

As such, the AMG CLS 53 4Matic looks like a powerful, low-swept grand touring machine. The wheelbase is long, as is the hood line, while the stance is wide and close to the ground. The headlight housings pull back into the fenders with a triangular shape and check-mark daytime running lights, while the roof line is rounded, falling back into an equally rounded rear end with a graceful, unbroken arc. The tail section is square in its proportions and rounded at the edges, enhancing the car's visual length with an extended overhang.

Updated features for the latest 2018 model year are numerous. Let's start in front, where we find a twin-blade radiator grille, a design once relegated exclusively for the V-8 models (this one's got a 'six under the hood, by the way). The main intake is complemented by black mesh insert, as is the lower horizontal intake. A dividing middle character bar stretches from side to side and comes finished in shiny metal. There's also an A-wing front apron that incorporates black flics, while a front splitter juts out from the lower bumper section and comes finished with chrome detailing. Further horizontal elements in the outer intakes also add to the car's visual width, while additional air curtains specific to the model help to reduce drag.

Moving over to the car's profile, we find AMG-specific side sills that bring the car just a little closer to the ground. Higher up, there's a set of side-view mirrors that are positioned further back on the body in a manner that's reminiscent of the AMG GT sports car. We also love how that roof line naturally draws the eye rearwards into the well-proportioned rear end.

Speaking of the rear, the tail of the machine sports mud flaps that were redesigned to be more aerodynamically efficient, moving air around the wheel arches. The rear apron comes with a diffuser insert that completes the car's squarish rear profile, plus there's a quartet of round exhaust tips finished in a high-gloss chrome that do well to enhance the car's sporting demeanor. Up top is a body-colored trunk lid spoiler, a feature that's also offered in an optional carbon-fiber finish. At the sides are two-section taillights, which Mercedes says allow for a bigger trunk opening. Their shape also gives the car a wide and low stance that looks great with its wider track.

Finally, the AMG CLS 53 4Matic comes standard with 19-inch wheels made with an alloy construction, but buyers can also get theirs with the optional 20-inch wheels if preferred.

Interior

Like its exterior appearance, the interior of the AMG CLS 53 4Matic looks to combine elegance with sportiness. However, this go-faster four-door definitely leans heavily towards the sporting side of things thanks to its copious AMG-specific equipment and trim bits.

But before we get into all that, though, let's first examine the layout and design. Horizontal cues appear to be the predominant style here, with a broad, sweeping dash that wraps its way fully around the cabin in an almost unbroken slab. Air vents are placed in the corners, while a quartet of vents are mounted in the middle, all coming with a rounded shape and exaggerated rifling inserts. The center console is equally large and wide, as is the infotainment and gauge cluster screens (more on those in a little bit).

In back, we find a wave design seating arrangement, which Mercedes says was tweaked this time around to provide more comfort. There's a new shape, new colors, and new materials, with an overarching focus on providing the utmost in comfort, ergonomics, sportiness, and safety. There's also an adjustable head rest height. There's seating for three in the rear, which in addition to the two up front, brings passenger capacity to five. Additional practicality is offered with the 40:20:40 split in the bench, making the most of the available space in the trunk.

Now let's talk about all that AMG gear, shall we? The CLS 53 comes standard with an AMG steering wheel wrapped in nappa leather, offering a flat bottom, four spokes, red contrast stitching, and a red top center mark. The wheel is also optional with wood inserts in piano lacquer, or a Dinamica microfiber, if preferred. There's highly bolstered sport seats up front as well, with an AMG-specific upholstery appointment, plus more of that red contrast stitching. AMG badges are added in numerous places, and there are red seat belts to keep you in place. Carbon fiber trim is the dominant material of choice, but you can also get it with glass fiber in matte silver. Brushed metal and aluminum add extra bling.

The top-shelf materials don't stop there. Options include Artico leatherette and Dinamicra microfiber, nappa leather, and designo interior gear. Meanwhile, the color combos include macchiato beige with magma grey, black with bengal red, and espresso brown with magma grey. Several colors are also added to the rim of the steering wheel and the rear seating.

High-end materials and slick upholstery appointment are great, but no modern luxury mobile worth its animal hide would be complete without a modern infotainment system to keep passengers entertained and properly informed. As such, the AMG CLS 53 gets a new “control and display concept,” plus an optional 12.3-inch diagonal screen. This unit combines to create a Widescreen Cockpit view, stretching across the dash to join up with the digital gauges behind the wheel. Users can adjust this to suit their taste using a lineup of display styles, which include “Classic,” “Sporty,” and “Progressive.” It's also configurable to view parameters such as the engine oil temperature, the transmission oil temperature, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, engine output, torque levels, boost pressure, tire temperatures, tire pressure, and other info, plus the current vehicle system settings (and yeah, there's a lot of them).

User inputs are made via touch-sensitive buttons placed on the steering wheel, enabling swiping motions akin to what you'd use on a smartphone or mobile device. There's also a touch pad controller in the center console, and a new Linguatronic voice control system, the latter of which can be used for additional functions and features, such as the air conditioning, seat heat and ventilation, interior lights, and the optional heads-up display.

One of the more interesting features is the optional “Energizing comfort control,” which connects a variety of different systems (air conditioning, seat heating/ventilation/massage, surface heating, steering wheel heating, lighting, and “music moods”). With all these systems properly connected, the comfort control will generate “a special wellness set-up to enhance well-being and performance,” depending on the driver's moods and requirements. While the description is a little vague, we see it as a bit like a holistic climate control, encompassing more than just the temperature of the air coming through the vents to more accurately fulfill the needs of the passenger.

The AMG CLS 53 4Matic also pulls tech from the Mercedes S-Class for the safety gear. Standard spec throws in features like Active Braking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist, Speed Limit Assist, and the Pre-Safe system, while the optional gear includes Active Distance Assist, Active Steering Assist, Active Speed Limit Assist, Active Braking Assist (plus Cross-Traffic Function), Evasive Steering Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, and Pre-Safe Plus. Making it all work is the onboard camera and radar systems, which also throw in navigation data “to calculate vehicle behavior.”

Drivetrain

Pop the hood on this four-door, and you'll first find a big plastic engine cover, as is tradition these days. However, under all that plastic, Mercedes is hiding an electrified 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, which gets pumped up by a twin-turbo set-up that includes one turbo spun by exhaust gases and a second turbo spun by an electric auxiliary compressor.

Of course, the big news in this department is the new EQ Boost starter-alternator, which can “momentarily” provide another 16 kW (21.5 horsepower) and a remarkable 250 Nm (184.4 pound-feet) of torque. The added muscle is great, but in addition to the extra go, the EQ Boost will also provide juice to the 48-volt onboard electrics.

This feature manages to combine a starter and alternator into a single electric motor, which Merc then mounted between the engine and transmission. According to the automaker, “This innovation as well as the intelligent charging via an electric auxiliary compressor and an exhaust gas turbocharger all have the same goal: to enhance the hallmark AMG performance and driving dynamics, while at the same time reducing fuel consumption and emissions.” We're all for that first bit, but if Merc can one-up the output while also decreasing the fuel consumption, we're all for it.

Indeed, a system like this should provide a really solid whomp way down low in the rpm range, and once the engine is spinning fast enough, the gas-driven turbo will kick in for even more peak power. That means that despite the high-boost applications, there's no turbo lag, thus offering more refinement (less turbo thrash) and a super-sharp throttle response as well. Very nice.

All told, look out for this system to make into future hybrid applications from AMG. Even with a shift in priorities to higher efficiency, systems like this will keep the brand in the high-performance game. “Thanks to the 48 V battery, the overall battery capacity in the vehicle is increased, enabling more electrical energy to be made available – and therefore also allowing innovative functions to be introduced, for example,” Mercedes says. “The 48 V on-board electrical system is therefore paving the way for further hybridisation.”

While we're on the subject, we might as well mention the fuel and energy savings that come with the 2018 model year. These include the previously mentioned 48-volt electric system, an energy recuperation system, and an engine start/stop system now offering smoother transitions between engine on and engine off. There's also a glide mode that'll let you coast when most appropriate. With all those systems combined, the AMG CLS 53 4Matic manages 8.4 liters per 100 km (28 mpg), as well as 200 grams per km in CO2 emissions.

More importantly, though, is output, which is rated at 435 horsepower and 520 Nm (384 pound-feet) of torque. All that muscle makes it quick, with the 0-to-100 km/h (62 mph) test done in only 4.5 seconds – solid sports car territory. Toss in the Driver's package, and top speed looks like 270 km/h (168 mph), also impressive for such a large luxury four-door.

It's also worth mentioning that the engine is shorter this time around, as Mercedes deleted the ancillary component belt drive. As a result, Merc was able to install the exhaust gas after-treatment system closer to the engine, yielding even higher levels of efficiency.

Making the connection with the engine is an AMG Speedshift 9G automatic transmission. Merc prides itself on the nine-speed's short shift times, and the quick-response you get from the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. Stand out features for the transmission include a double-declutching function, plus the ability to execute multiple downshifts at a time. Sport+ is the mode of choice for the most crispiest shifts possible, while the box also offers a fully manual mode for a more hands-on approach to the cog swaps.

After the transmission, power is fed into a fully variable all-wheel drive AMG Performance 4Matic+ system as standard. This comes with an electro-mechanically controlled clutch, as well as variable torque transfer between the front and rear axles. That means it can go full RWD when needed. Of course, we wouldn't expect Mercedes to offer a “drift” button to smoke the rear meats on demand – it's more about optimal grip, rather than burnouts. Pity.

Finally, there are multiple drive modes offered, which can be selected via the Dynamic Select knob in the cabin. The drive modes include names like Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual, and the modes affect a variety of systems, branching out into the engine, the transmission, the suspension, and the steering.

Drivetrain Specifications

Chassis And Handling

To keep this heavy luxury barge feeling as sprightly as physically possible, Mercedes utilizes a fully independent suspension layout with a multi-link set-up in the rear. The headline in this area is the advanced AMG Ride Control+ equipment, which offers multi-chamber air dampers to keep it all shiny side up. The damping is adjusted by way of two separate valves for the rebound and compression, and AMG matched it with spring tuning that keeps it feeling appropriately sporty. It's also continuously adjustable for the damping, offering harder settings while cruising through the corners to help reduce the car's inherent body roll.

The air suspension also offers a self-leveling feature for a consistent ride height “regardless of vehicle load.” Another perk is that the driver can raise the front end on demand to help maneuver up highly angled driveways or whatever else might be in the way. Just hit it with one button touch, and you'll be good to go. The car will then automatically lower back to the normal ride height as you drive along.

Merc also mentions that there are special steering knuckles in front and new load-bearing joints as well, while extra negative camber was added this time around for crisper turn-in characteristics. Speaking of turning, there's an AMG speed-sensitive steering on board as well, offering a variable steering rack ratio and more feedback with the sportier drive modes.

Finally, the brakes are appropriately large for the application, measuring in with 370 mm (14.6-inch) by 36 mm (1.4-inch) discs in front, clamped by four-pot calipers. In back, there are 360 mm (14.2-inch) by 26 mm (1-inch) discs, clamped by single-pot calipers.

Prices

Official pricing was not announced as of this writing, but it's probably safe to assume it'll be around the $80,000 mark, considering the current V-8 powered 550 4Matic starts at $77,650 and the fire-breathing CLS 63 S starts at $108,900.

If so inclined, buyers can act early and get into the Exclusive Edition 1 version. The big ticket item here is the Copper Art interior, which adds the color to various interior bits, with copper-colored contrast stitching for the black nappa leather, plus more added to the instrument panel, armrests, center console, door panels, and floor mats. The center console is also done up with carbon fiber, while a Performance steering wheel, a number of “Edition” badges, 64-color ambient lighting, the Memory and Mirror package, and an IWC analogue clock round it out.

Competition

Audi S7

Truth be told, Mercedes isn't alone in offering four-door sports machines with coupe-like roof lines. Audi's take on the formula is the S7, which comes with a handsome exterior that's rather understated considering what it's got in store under the hood – namely a 450-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, which sends power to the ground by way of a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and permanent all-wheel drive system. Properly motivated, the S7 can hit 60 mph in a scant 4.5 seconds, all while coddling passengers in the utmost luxury. Pricing starts at $81,200.

Read our full review on the 2017 Audi S7.

Porsche Panamera

Despite a rather questionable take on the four-door coupe styling aesthetic, the Porsche Panamera has plenty in reserve when it comes to performance. Buyers get a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 sending power exclusively to the rear axle in the base model, but theAWD and twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 in the mid-range model would be a better fit for the AMG CLS. There's even a hybrid model, if you're so inclined. If performance and speed are at the top of your priority list, then the Panamera is likely the better buy.

Read our full review on the 2018 Porsche Panamera.

Conclusion

The latest Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4Matic is a great example of one of those niche vehicle segments that's so popular these days. It's elegant and luxurious, with four doors to get in and out and a well-appointed interior dripping with premium touches. At the same time, it's sporty and performance-oriented, with loads of go available with every stab of the right pedal and a svelte coupe roof line to boot.

Now, it looks like Merc is stepping down a third path with the model, one that leads towards extra efficiency. Posting a 28-mpg fuel return figure for a machine like this is impressive, and we have no doubt the German brand will look to expand that number in the future.

All told, the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4Matic is a great choice for those looking for something that can do it all. If the price is right, it's definitely worth a drive.

References

Mercedes-Benz CLS

Read our full review on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS.

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