Mercedes-Benz CLS The second generation CLS is a coupe-like four-door that began a styling trend when it debuted in 2004. The 2012 CLS 550 will go on sale next summer with a new 4.6-litre V-8 twin-turbocharged engine.
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS made its global debut at last year's Paris Motor Show and it was as pretty in the fall of 2010 as it is now at this year's Toronto auto show in February.
The long hood, the frame-less side windows and the sweeping roof were novel in 2003 when the first version arrived. But now, Mercedes has had time to refine the design. Moreover, new competition has put some urgency into the design work.
Here's a suggestion: compare the CLS at the Toronto show with Audi's A7. Both are so-called four-door coupes. For my money, the CLS is slightly more aggressive looking, while the A7 seems a tad more elegant.
You'll also find the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition on the Mercedes stand. Mercedes-Benz Canada has just 30 of these to sell, by the way. I'm not sold on the grey paint, but I do like the look of those high-performance AMG brakes with red calipers, tucked behind 19-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels in black.
Being an AMG model from Mercedes' in-house skunk works, this C63 has plenty of power: the hand-built, 6.2-litre V-8 churns up 481 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. The 0 to 100 km/h time is 4.4 seconds.
Finally, Mercedes has a new SLK on display. The new roadster has what Mercedes calls "a panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL which switches to light or dark at the touch of a button." It's pretty cool.
Mercedes-Benz finished 2010 as the No. 1 luxury brand in Canada. This trio won't help the volume sales numbers; they're niche cars. But they do boost the brand's image - and in the world of premium cars, image matters a lot.