Hot on the heels of the new-for-2010 Mercedes S-class comes its two-door brethren: the facelifted, tweaked and gently improved Merc CL. It’s the first change to the big coupe since it was launched in 2007 and ushers in a series of mid-life improvements to keep the £80,000+ CL in the chase.
As our new spy photos prove, the current CL, dubbed W216 in Mercspeak, won’t change much visually. Think of it as a mild makeover to keep its classy looks intact. Most of the change will be under the skin.
So what will be new on the 2010 Merc CL?
Flashy new tech, in a nutshell. The S-class will gain a new Splitview screen that lets the central digital read-out show different pictures to driver and passenger – so the former can receive simple sat-nav instruction while the latter watches The Simpsons.
Will the new lithium-ion S400 BlueHybrid system transfer from the forthcoming 190g/km CO2 limo to the coupe? The two models share the same hardware, so there’s no technical reason why it couldn’t. However, our sources at Mercedes suggest the hybrid will – at first – be reserved for the four-door.
That means a range of V8 and V12 engines closely mirroring today’s line-up. Expect improvements to power and efficiency – and enjoy them while you can. In the longer run, Mercedes is abandoning V12s for smaller, downsized engines that’ll clean up without sacrificing performance.
>> More news on the new Merc CL to follow. We’re just hounding down our contacts at Mercedes for more info