The Mercedes CLS leaks ahead of its unveiling at the LA Auto Show

Mercedes has gone to great lengths to maintain the mystery surrounding the new CLS it is set to unveil at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and to do so, as usually happens with an anticipated model, it has been revealing small details little by little to keep us intrigued. But this requires a very fine balance, and in this case Mercedes was just a few hours away from achieving its goal: that nobody would know about it before its unveiling.

They haven’t managed it, and only a few hours before the preview ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show doors open, the new Mercedes CLS is shown in all its glory, inside and out, to the delight of all of us and the discomfort of those responsible at Mercedes. These are high-quality images that let us see it in great detail, images that were presumably meant to accompany a press release, but which break all the mystery Mercedes wanted to surround the CLS with.

The exterior of the new Mercedes CLS conveys a greater sportiness and aggressiveness, partly thanks, without a doubt, to the new light cluster whose silhouette we had already glimpsed in an earlier image. The new front bumper also helps convey this character, somewhat reminiscent of the styling of the Mercedes-AMG GT, with larger side air intakes that give it the impression of being wider.

The front lines flow smoothly along the sides without excess, maintaining the sober and elegant styling that characterises this coupé-inspired saloon, before reaching the rear, where we also find a new design. Here too, the smooth, rounded finishes continue, wrapping around the new rear light cluster at the top and the twin exhaust outlets at the bottom.

Its interior has also been redesigned, as you can see in the images, with a totally elegant design and high-quality finishes and materials as one would expect in a car of this kind, where the dashboard takes on special importance thanks to two huge screens, one for the instrument cluster and another for elements such as the infotainment system. The LED ambient lighting wraps the entire interior via a light strip that will allow different shades.

As for the mechanicals, we will have to wait for the first confirmations from Mercedes to learn which engines will power the new CLS, as well as the new technical and technological solutions it has incorporated. What does seem clear, however, is that all its engines, whether diesel or petrol, will be paired with the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox, with the option of 4MATIC permanent four-wheel drive.