Background
*This Mercedes-Benz CLS 320 CDi is being sold in a no-reserve auction*
The 2004 W219 Mercedes-Benz CLS class took the E-Class platform and brought Coupe styling to the four-door party. With a sweeping roofline and long bonnet, the Michael Fink styled fastback coupe was no shrinking violet.
Less practical than its donor W211 E-Class, buyers instead gained a sportier aesthetic, stiffer suspension and swifter steering. Technology-wise there was a seven-speed automatic transmission, an electro hydraulic braking system and AirMATIC air suspension.
For the first generation CLS power came via a bewildering array of petrol engines (including a 228bhp 3.0-litre V6, 288bhp 3.5-litre V6, 302bhp 5.0-litre V8, and monstrous 507bhp 6.2-litre AMG V8), as well as a trio of turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 Diesel units (ranging from 221bhp-to-272bhp).
2008 models had a facelift with restyled bumpers and mirrors, and LED rear lights among a number of exterior tweaks. Inside, it was limited to a re-jigged infotainment/sat nav system and a re-styled steering wheel.
If you’ve always fancied Coupe looks but without the requisite sacrifices (i.e. the usual loss of two doors) usually inflicted on a buyer, then you’d do well to consider a CLS – sporty styling, all on a saloon platform.







