In just its fourth model year on the market, the sensual Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class is getting a bit of facelifting to its four-door "coupe" body.
Back in the 2006 model year, we called the original CLS a bit of "a hussy all right, with more voluptuous fender swells, a tighter rear end and a youthful cleft from nose to tail." To improve on that suggestive take, Mercedes has transplanted a new nose to the CLS, reducing the number of bars in its grille from four to two, and with a different gray finish to its mesh grilles.
Other changes to the 2009 model include bigger mirrors with turn-signal indicators built in; 18-inch wheels with a new ten-spoke design; a new back bumper with dual exhausts, and arrow-shaped LED taillights.
Inside the CLS gets a three-spoke steering wheel, new white and silver gauges, and a new display for the COMAND infotainment system, along with integral Bluetooth connectivity and voice activation. A harman/kardon Logic 7 audio system is standard.
Two models return to the CLS lineup for 2009. The CLS550 sports a 382-horsepower V-8 with a seven-speed automatic, while the CLS63 charges along with 507 hp and 465 pound-feet of torque. The CLS also uses the seven-speed automatic, with the addition of Speedshift electronic shift control.
The CLS version is also offered in a Performance package that drops the 155-mph speed limit pretension, allowing the CLS to motor to 186 mph unfettered.
Stay tuned for TheCarConnection.com's full road test of the '09 CLS.
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