It was (and still is) a contradiction in terms, yet the Mercedes-Benz CLS revolutionised the modern automotive landscape in 2004. Combining the low-slung, sweeping roofline and sleek styling of a traditional two-door sports coupé with the practical four-door accessibility of an executive sedan, it was introduced as a “four-door coupé”.
Although the description is somewhat nonsensical, it stuck, and the CLS – previewed as the Vision CLS concept at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show – is widely recognised as the first modern version of its kind. Its popularity spawned an industry-wide trend, forcing rival luxury brands to develop their own four-door fastbacks.
The four-door aesthetic soon became a cornerstone of Mercedes-Benz’s design direction, and in 2013 the concept filtered down to a more attainable segment with the introduction of the CLA. Built on the front-wheel-drive architecture shared with the A-Class and previewed by the 2012 Concept Style Coupé, the newcomer borrowed heavily from the CLS’s distinctive silhouette, complete with its low roofline, frameless doors and coupé-inspired proportions. It offered younger buyers a more accessible entry point into the brand while preserving much of the visual drama that had made the CLS such a standout.
The Sensual Purity design of the third-generation CLA, first unveiled last year, was inspired by the Concept CLA-Class previewed at the 2023 Munich Motor Show, and marks the first time for Mercedes-Benz that combustion-engine and battery electric models feature identical exterior and interior designs, and share the same model name.
Report by FERDI DE VOS | Image © MERCEDES-BENZ AG
