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Walkaround
The new CL coupe improves on its predecessor in every measurable category. It is smaller, lighter and more efficient, while packing more power and providing a more spacious interior. The undistinguished styling of the previous model is supplanted by fluid, graceful lines and an aggressive stance that suggests an iron fist in a velvet glove. Owners can park the CL beside Jaguars at the club without feeling stodgy.Past full-sized Mercedes coupes were basically two-door versions of the company's flagship sedans. No more. The CL is based on the S-class sedan platform, but that chassis is heavily revised for coupe duty, and the car gets a unique body style to match. The Automatic Body Control system is an active, hydraulic suspension system that keeps the car level under acceleration, braking and cornering. Hydraulic cylinders at each corner support a conventional spring and damper, providing adjustments to ride height without intruding on the car's comfortable ride. At 4,113 pounds, the CL500 is nearly 600 pounds lighter than the previous model. Mercedes accomplished the diet by making the roof, hood door panels and rear fenders from aluminum and using plastic for the trunk lid and front fenders.
Interior Features
The long doors on coupes are usually massive and unwieldy, but Mercedes uses lightweight magnesium for the door frames and mounts the doors on articulating hinges that slide the door forward as it opens. So ingress and egress is much easier than in comparable cars.The front seats slide up when the seat back is folded forward for easier access to the back seat, adding to the practicality of this coupe. Despite the rakish styling, the CL maintains adequate rear headroom, in part because of the low rear seat bottoms. The CL packs all of the features Mercedes buyers expect, such as multiple air bags, stability control, on-board navigation, and Tele-Aid emergency response. It adds a list of new items such as Distronic adaptive cruise control, which uses radar to automatically maintain a safe distance from other cars. The CL is the first car to use Xenon lights for high beams as well as the usual low beam. Keyless Go lets drivers open locked doors and start the car when carrying the card key, without getting the card out of their pocket. Crisply lit electro-luminescent instruments anchor the sweeping gauge pod. The center of the dash features a wood-trimmed center stack that includes the COMAND display, which manages the navigation system, stereo and cellular telephone systems. Some COMAND functions can be controlled from steering wheel mounted buttons, and limited COMAND information is displayed on a small panel in the center of the speedometer
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