2023梅赛德斯-奔驰CLS-Class Interior and Cargo

The CLS's interior is a great place to spend time. The design is futuristic and elegant at the same time, with premium materials and plush surfaces abounding. The four round, aircraft-style center vents add a striking touch to the interior and the latest rendition of Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system means the interior is bang up to date with the best models on the market in all respects. The seats are extremely comfortable and there is lots of space up front. The back is where the compromises happen, with the CLS offering noticeably less space than the smaller E-Class on which it is based, as well as its rivals. The sculpted rear seat is extremely comfortable for two people of smaller proportions, though.

The previous-generation CLS was a strict four-seater, but the current car has a rear seat molded for three passengers, although the center passenger will be cramped in all directions. Even used as a four-seater, rear-seat space lags behind its rivals and people of above-average height will quickly run out of headroom. No such worries for shorter people, who will be very comfortable. The rear door openings are not overly big, nor is the rear seat as spacious as an E-Class, but most average-sized people will fit just fine, ensconced in the luxurious rear quarters. Up front, there are no such qualms, with plenty of space in all directions.

Leather upholstery is standard and available in four no-cost color combinations: Black, Sienna Brown/Black, Macchiato Beige/Magma Grey, and Neva Grey/Magma. For $1,370 extra, any one of these color combinations can be had in Nappa leather instead, plus one additional combination - Magma Grey/Macchiato Beige. The Manufaktur Nappa leather combinations cost $4,900 and there are six: Macchiato Beige/Titian Red, Titian Red/Macchiato Beige, Totufo Brown/Black, Deep White/Black, Yacht Blue/Black, Tartufo Brown/Black, and Classic Red/Black, but some of them require additional packages and/or extras. Five standard, no-cost wood trims are offered, namely Light Brown Sen, Natural Grain Grey Ash, Natural Grain Black Ash, Grey wood, and Natural Grain Walnut. The Manufaktur Black Piano Lacquer 'Flowing Lines' wood costs $1,300. The dashtop and upper door trims are covered in stitched MB-Tex leatherette and the steering wheel is leather-covered.

This is the CLS's greatest downfall compared to its rivals, assuming that it bothers you much. Buyers of coupe-style sedans accept a measure of compromise on this score. However, an 11.9-cubic-feet trunk is even smaller than that of the C-Class, which is rather poor, even in the compact class. It is also less than half the size of the Audi A7's spacious 24.9 cu-ft figure. At least the 40/20/40-split rear seats can be folded flat if you are willing to sacrifice passengers for cargo space. Adequate oddment space inside is provided in the center console, cubby, and door pockets, along with the usual cupholders.

Standard luxury features in all CLS models include powered and heated front seats with memory, dual-zone climate control, 64-color ambient lighting, 40/20/40-split rear seats, leather seat upholstery, hands-free access and keyless go, a HomeLink garage door remote, and an electric trunk opener/closer. Dynamic Select is standard with five driving modes, of which one can be customized. Standard safety features include Car-to-X communication, Mercedes Pre-Safe, Active Brake Assist, seven airbags, adaptive braking, a backup camera, blind-spot and cross-wind assist, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams, tire-pressure monitoring, and one-touch emergency calling features. Various luxury and safety packages are offered at extra cost.

The feature-rich MBUX multimedia and infotainment system is comprehensive, if a bit intimidating at first. The 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is complemented by a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface. MBUX brings features such as 'Hey, Mercedes' voice activation and voice control, a touchpad controller, standard navigation (with free map updates for three years), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, multiple USB-C ports, Bluetooth audio streaming, a FrontBass sound system, and steering-wheel-mounted Touch Control Buttons. Features such as in-car Wi-Fi, a head-up display, a Burmester Surround Sound System with up to 13 speakers, and wireless phone charging are available at extra cost.