Ahead of its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes has released the first pictures of its brand-new four-door coupé, the CLS.

The outgoing model – despite the straitened times in which it was marketed – sold to 170,000 buyers worldwide, and created a new class in the lower-luxury segment for capacious coupés with the convenience of rear doors. The new model carries the Stuttgart company’s latest styling DNA and is, to this writer’s eyes, a far more attractive car.

Mercedes describes the radiator grille as “reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG”, as it is a more prominent feature this time round. The grille, the pronounced rear haunches and a more balanced roof treatment result in an appealing, muscular coupé.

As with the latest E-Class saloon and coupé, the new CLS has LED lighting fore and aft. For the rest of the details you’ll have to wait until the Paris ‘reveal’; however, a glance through the specification of the regular E-Class will give you an idea of likely powertrains and performance. An AMG CLS will, no doubt, already be on the books.

The Paris Motor Show runs from 2–17 October at the Porte de Versailles, Paris.

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Mercedes-Benz