Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Oct 04, 2010

The interior: Luxurious surrounds with many exclusive touches

- Roomy: more elbow and shoulder room for all the seats
- Informative: full-colour central display in the instrument cluster

Quite apart from its breathtaking design, the vehicle body of the new CLS spoils all occupants with its generous interior measurements: in particular, the four-door coupé offers more elbow room (8/21 millimetres at the front/back) and more shoulder room (21/13 millimetres) than its predecessor. The starting point for this extra space was the vehicle body, which is 29 millimetres longer, 13 millimetres higher and 8 millimetres wider than its predecessor. The wheelbase has increased too, by 20 millimetres to 2874 millimetres.


The boot has a capacity of 520 litres and, for the first time in the CLS, comes with EASY-PACK quickfold as an optional extra for the rear seat backrest which folds down in a 1/3:2/3 proportion. Up to 19 different places to store and secure objects throughout the car make it quick and easy to accommodate smaller objects. The EASY-PACK comfort box for the boot, which is an optional extra, provides even more stowage space. It is normally folded flat and stored under the parcel shelf. If the EASY-PACK comfort box is needed, it can be pulled out and folded down. Thanks to its flexible base, its volume can be varied from 7 to 55 litres. Its can bear a maximum of ten kilograms in weight. The box, which is some 530 millimetres wide, can be removed from the boot without the need for tools if its full capacity is required.

Stylish cockpit with three round dials and two colour displays

In addition to the "wrap-around effect" of the instrument panel support, the newly-designed multifunction steering wheel in the 3-spoke design in Nappa leather is particularly eye-catching. The steering wheel is available in black or almond beige; a wood-and-leather finish is also available as an optional extra. In the optional AMG Sports package there is a particularly sporty steering wheel which has a flattened wreath in the lower half. Both steering wheel options have 12 multifunction keys to control the infotainment functions.

The highlight of the exclusive CLS instrumentation is the all-colour, three-dimensional TFT display in the middle of the speedometer, measuring 109 millimetres in diameter. The mileage and trip odometer appear in the lower area of the display, the top displays - amongst other things - information from the driver assistance systems. A three-dimensional image of the vehicle appears when getting into or out of the CLS.

Three tube-shaped round dials in the cockpit inform the driver of the coolant temperature and fuel tank level (on the left), speed (in the middle) and engine rpm (on the right). A large colour display in 16:9 format, elegantly integrated into the upper part of the instrument panel support, gives information on all the infotainment functions. The TFT display (Active Matrix Thin Film Transistor), which is backlit with LED lights, uses so-called IPS technology. IPS stands for "in-plane switching", which describes the shift direction of the liquid crystal. The benefit of this technology is that it displays high-contrast images which stay sharp outside the direct line of vision. Depending on the specification, two versions of this cutting-edge display are available: a 14.7 cm version for the Audio 20 and Audio 50 APS systems; and a high-resolution 17.7 cm variant for COMAND APS.

The centre console fits harmoniously with the shape and colour of the instrument panel. The control unit for the infotainment system and the optional car telephone can be found underneath the analogue clock and air vents. The push-button switches for seat heating, seat ventilation, the hazard warning lamps, rear window blind and other items of equipment ordered as options are arranged below this; they have been galvanised and are backlit. The large round control knobs for the automatic climate control, which is supplied as standard, are located in the lower part of the centre console. The controller in the tunnel trim serves as the central control element for the infotainment systems and provides a quick and easy starting point for navigating the well-organised menus controlling the systems.

THERMOTRONIC climate control with three individual climate modes

The second-generation CLS can be optionally fitted with an automatic climate control system which not only allows individual temperatures to be set for three zones - for the driver, the front passenger and the rear passengers - but additionally offers special climate modes. This means that, if the optionally available THERMOTRONIC system is fitted, the car occupants can select "Diffuse", "Medium" or "Focus" settings on the THERMOTRONIC at the push of a button and thus adjust the air quantity and air distribution to their liking without having to leave the convenient automatic mode.

In "Diffuse" mode, for example, the THERMOTRONIC system operates with a lower air speed and distributes the air over a wide area so that there are fewer draughts. This is the purpose of the automatically controlled, upwards inclined diffuse nozzle in the centre of the dashboard. In "Focus" mode, meanwhile, the air outlets in the centre area of the dashboard are used for the most part, meeting the need for a direct flow of a larger quantity of air. The standard system fitted in the CLS is the two-zone THERMATIC automatic climate control.

The ultimate in seating comfort allowing adjustments to suit individual ergonomic needs

Refined sportiness - this philosophy applies also to the seats, as they combine the ultimate in seating comfort with sporty lateral support. Four different front seat types are available to choose from:

- The standard seat itself meets the highest ergonomic standards. Thanks to the filled seat piping, the feeling of comfort simply when getting into the vehicle is unique. A special upholstery technology is deployed here, which inserts additional foam filling immediately beneath the cloth or leather upholstery. The front seats can be adjusted electrically as standard. The Memory package, which enables three individual settings to be saved, is available as an optional extra.

- The shape of the optional multicontour seat can be individually adjusted by and for the driver and passenger to fit their anatomy or to suit their personal wishes with regard to comfort. Thanks to an innovative technology for adjusting the seat side bolsters, for example, the width of the backrest can be adjusted on both sides in a stepless operation by up to 45 millimetres, i.e. by up to 90 millimetres in total. Other bonuses of the new multicontour seat include the pneumatic height adjustment facility for the seat cushion and the high-comfort head restraints.

- The active multicontour seat offers the same comfort functions and additionally has high-speed piezo valves in the air chambers which adjust the charging pressure and volume of the air chambers in the side bolsters of the seat backs, depending on the steering angle, lateral acceleration and vehicle speed, to provide both the driver and front seat passenger with even greater support. It also has the high-comfort head restraint and, additionally, a massage function.

- Climate comfort is further enhanced by the optionally available active climatised front seats, which are available as an optional extra. Four ventilators in the seat cushion and in the backrest extract cool air from the floor area of the interior and distribute it evenly through a ventilation tissue beneath the seat surface. The mild airflow can prevent the car's occupants from sweating, even when it is extremely hot outside. Seat heating can also be selected for all four seats as an optional extra.

Individual seats for the passengers in the rear, for the first time fitted with ISOFIX child seat attachments

Two individual seats in the rear provide a particularly comfortable experience in the second row. These seats are well-liked for their extensive lateral support which comes from the contouring. There is a roomy stowage compartment in the centre armrest between the two seats, which if desired can also contain a cup holder for a bottle. An electrically-operated rear-window blind for the rear passengers is also available as an option, which can palpably and measurably reduce sunlight streaming in at the touch of a button. It is fixed to the C-pillars, as it is in the S-Class.

For the first time Mercedes-Benz is offering the CLS with ISOFIX, the international standard securing system for child seats. The mechanism is fitted as standard and comprises two retaining brackets in each rear seat position, in the gap between the back rest and seat cushion, as well as an additional third anchor point above the backrest, the so-called top tether.

Car radio, CD player and Bluetooth interface as standard

Nowadays, nobody wants to miss out on the news, the telephone, route guidance or music listening pleasure when in the car. For this reason Mercedes-Benz has equipped the new CLS with state-of-the-art infotainment facilities, which stand out for their high performance capability, but above all for their ease of use. They are called the Audio 20 CD (supplied as standard), Audio 50 APS and COMAND APS (supplied as optional extras).

All of the devices include speed-sensitive volume control, a keypad for entering telephone numbers and radio frequencies, a colour display in the centre of the dashboard, and a Bluetooth interface to connect a mobile phone to the hands-free system wirelessly. Eight loudspeakers supplied as standard and located in the doors ensure excellent sound quality.

Features of the Audio 20 CD system, fitted as standard, include a CD player (with MP3 capability), a dual tuner for FM/MW/LW/SW, automatic station search, RDS function (FM reception) and a 4 x 20-watt amplifier.

The AUDIO 50 APS infotainment system is an all-in-one device featuring a combination of car radio, DVD player and Europe-wide navigation system with two-dimensional map display. The radio functions and the options for linking with other systems are the same as for the Audio 20 system. Mercedes customers who opt for the version with integral six-disc DVD changer also receive the LINGUATRONIC voice-operated control system.

The COMAND APS multimedia system developed by Mercedes-Benz includes a DVD player for audio and video as well as a Europe-wide navigation system whose data are stored on a 40-gigabyte hard drive, allowing extremely fast access to the navigation data and, compared to DVD-based navigation, even faster route calculations. The high-resolution map appears on the 17.7 cm colour display in the centre of the instrument panel and excels in providing useful additional information. By way of example, the map shows the outlines of prominent buildings along the route to aid orientation.

Mercedes-Benz combines COMAND APS with the voice-operated control system LINGUATRONIC and a so-called text-to-speech function as standard. This makes it possible for route-related traffic reports, SMS messages, address book entries or radio station names to be read out to the driver. The system automatically reads out new traffic reports that are relevant to the current route.
Additional systems for the ultimate in listening pleasure and entertainment Mercedes customers can, if desired, combine the infotainment facilities for the CLS with other systems:

- The Logic7 surround sound system developed by Mercedes-Benz together with the audio specialists harman/kardon® delivers an outstanding performance with three-dimensional sound as a natural 360-degree musical experience for all passengers.

- iPods, USB sticks or other external audio devices can link to the infotainment system of the new CLS through a media interface in the stowage compartment in the centre console.

- A separate DAB tuner (DAB = Digital Audio Broadcasting) and additional aerials (optional) allow passengers on board the new CLS to receive digital radio stations in CD quality. The system switches to analogue reception automatically when the DAB signal is too weak.