2017 LA Motor Show: 2018 Mercedes CLS teased

MERCEDES-BENZ has fired up the hype machine ahead of the reveal of its new CLS at the Los Angeles motor show later this month.

The German luxury brand has released a pair of teaser images hinting at the four-door coupe’s front end and interior styling.

An initial shady image of the new model’s nose reveals an evolved headlight design with sharp LED DRLs and single-fin grille in accordance with the Mercedes family resemblance, as well as a heavily vented lower valance, which suggests the show car is geared towards the performance end of the line-up.

A second, more recent image has thrown the first light on the CLS’s interior, and provided more evidence that the E-Class’ more elegant four-door sibling will adopt a similar cabin to the coupe and cabriolet versions.

The large central screen fused to the driver’s instrument display and proliferating the Mercedes range is again used for the CLS information and entertainment system, this time backlit with eerie red light.

The single image shows the CLS screen in the “Energising Comfort” menu, confirming the new version will offer Mercedes’ comfort system that links several functions together, including climate control, fragrance, seat heating, ventilation and massage.

Occupants can select between freshness, warmth, vitality, joy, comfort and training modes, according to their mood and journey type.

The screen is also framed with a bank of four air vents similar to the rocket exhaust-style versions found in the E-Class coupe and convertible, bathed in more red light.

A carbonfibre (or at least in appearance) dash trim completes the revealed features.

Mercedes-Benz has said nothing about powertrains, although a range shared with some E-Class and C-Class variants is a fair bet. The CLS is also another likely candidate to adopt the company’s touted new straight-six petrol.

An AMG version is also a given, although not in fire-breathing CLS63 form as a twin-turbo V8 version would cut the grass of the imminent AMG GT four-door. Expect a circa 320kW CLS53, possibly with a straight-six hybrid system, to represent the performance flagship for now.