Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £45,950 to £74,555
A style sensation, with the added benefit of extra doors and a spacious boot.
Relatively cramped rear seat. And you'd better be ready for lots of attention.
Bold looks with significant practicality, although it's no family car.
The CLS provides all of the latest safety technology, starting with large deformation zones at the front end. The idea is that even in a big crash, the passenger cell remains intact, protecting the occupants. Inside, the driver and front passenger get dual-stage airbags that inflate according to the severity of the crash. There are also side and window airbags, as well as seatbelt force limiters.
Active safety includes ESP stability control, which monitors wheel rotation and intervenes if it detects the symptoms of a skid. There is also a very clever emergency braking system, which detects a sudden switch from throttle to brake pedal and increases braking pressure automatically to help with a panic stop. If the wipers are activated for long enough to tell the car's computer that it's raining out there, an undetectable brake pulse clears water from the discs, keeping them dry and ensuring that maximum braking is available, even in pouring rain. The Mercedes Hill Start system, which stops you rolling backwards, is now standard, as is Pre-Safe, which braces the car for a crash by tensioning the seatbelts and closing the windows.
