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• Auto123 reviews the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe.
• The CLS-Class gets one more year of glory before production ends at the end of this summer.
Oh, the Mercedes CLS-Class, soon to be a thing of the past. Once a vehicle that stood on its own in a segment that it pretty much invented, the four-door coupe is now facing pressure from all over the automotive landscape. There are now more four-door coupes ranging in size from compacts to full-sized. And perhaps most importantly, the crossover SUV concept has arrived in the four-door coupe world as well. Think of the BMW X4/X6, Porsche Cayenne Coupe and Mercedes’ own GLC and GLE models.
Perhaps the most interesting threat also comes from Mercedes, in the form of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Door Coupe. Like the CLS, it has sleek four-door coupe looks and gets powered by a twin-turbo 6-cylinder engine (or a V8, if you’re so inclined). For all intents and purposes, it is an evolution of what the CLS started back in 2004.
Exterior of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe
There’s plenty of styling bits to like about the 2023 Mercedes-AMG CLS 53, for instance the single-bar front grille, black 20-inch wheels, subtle hood creases. But it’s from the rear three-quarter that you can best see the CLS’ grand touring intentions, thanks to that sharply raked rear window and short trunk. It looks long, muscular and high-class, as if it would be at home out front of the Monte Carlo Casino and on the Nurburgring alike.
The front end, meanwhile, is helped along by a new grille with multiple vertical bars that adds to the classic grand touring vibe.
That shape does lead to a rear deck that looks droopy when seen directly from the side and the roofline does compromise rear seat room a little, but I managed to fit a rear-facing child’s seat back there.
Plus, what room isn’t in the cabin ends up in a massive trunk (that can be optioned to be foot-activated, as with our tester). I managed to fit three days’ worth of travel gear in there, including a stroller.
Interior of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe
The exterior styling, however, is really just the tip of the iceberg. The interior styling is fantastic as well, and there’s a whole lot going on underneath the skin that take this latest CLS model to another level.
As is Mercedes’ way these days, the interior is a confluence of materials, shapes and technology that’s right up there with the best of the best. I love the silver detailing on the vent roundels, the steering wheel and especially the Burmester sound system’s speaker grilles, which look like they should be attached to the hi-fi in a penthouse suite. I’ve always believed that a high-quality sound system should look the part, and this one does.
In a performance model like this, how can you not love the red seats? They’re a no-cost option, and they fit the rest of the vibe in here so well.
Problems? There are few. The main issue I had is since the CLS’ doors are frameless, there are a few creaks I could have done without. That’s what happens when you lose a bit of structural integrity by removing the door window frames.
Other than a snug back seat – if room back there is important to you, then perhaps the E 53 would be the better choice – there’s little else to complain about with the CLS 53.
Fingerprint- and dust-attracting piano black is nonexistent, replaced by carbon-fibre all over the dash, doors and centre console. The adjustable mood lighting is a nice touch that changes depending on which interior “theme” you’ve selected. The silver around the seat adjusters is great and there’s even a race car-like centering band at the new steering wheel’s 12 o’clock position. I absolutely love it in here, and that the seating position is right on is icing on the cake.
Technology in the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe
The tech situation is a little bit more of a mixed bag. For starters, the dash is fully digitized, meaning two screens are there to display every aspect – from your infotainment to your main gauges – and you can like it or lump it. I don’t mind it - the graphics are sharp, colourful and modern looking and the gauges themselves can be customized to better suit what you want to see. I prefer the traditional tach-and-speedo setup, but I’m sure there are others who like their speed displayed in big fonts right at the centre, or for their navi map to sit there instead of on the infotainment display.
That’s all well and good, but I wish it were easier to navigate. The touchpad-style thumb buttons on either spoke – left for your in-gauge displays, right for your infotainment displays – mean that there are a total of three ways to interact with the screen (there’s a scroll wheel and a touchpad on the centre console).
Why, then, does it take me 20 minutes to find an equalizer menu? I don’t think I’m that much of a tech luddite, and I’m sure that my knowledge is equal to most CLS buyers - probably better than, given that I’ve sampled so many of these systems. And yet, 20 minutes.
Then there’s the interaction; first I’m bumping the wheel fore and aft, now I’m running a finger across the touchpad – it may seem great to have all these options, but I find it a little bit much, with things getting in each other’s way.
Better just select a playlist and focus on the drive, I suppose, because there’s so much here to like.
Driving the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe
The CLS 53 gets a turbo and supercharged inline-6, though not “supercharged” in the traditional sense, in that the CLS 53 actually has an electric supercharger instead of one using fuel. That’s pretty neat, and it not only makes for 429 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque, power delivery is smoother because it compensates for any turbo lag (yes, there’s one of those, too).
Which means you’ll very smoothly be cracking the 100 km/h barrier in no time, especially under full throttle when the electric supercharger kicks in to provide even more power (temporarily). This is a massively fast car that wants to make everyone forget it’s not a hand-built item like the “63” and “65” line of engines from AMG.
Indeed, it’s a “big win for the little guy” scenario, because there’s actually more tech here than there is in the bigger, more bespoke motors. I no longer felt myself longing for the big V8 as I did as recently as last year, when testing the “43” variants of the C- and E-Class.
Air suspension comes standard, and of course you’ve got AWD as standard as well. It’s a permanent system so power is never more than 45:55 front/rear. While you can never get the full-RWD effect, power can be shuffled from wheel-to-wheel as the system starts to sense slip.
On the dry roads I was on, the CLS tracked true and was almost impossible to unseat. I will say that while the steering is hefty – especially around town – there isn’t a lot of feel there and while that’s a common issue with EPAS systems, it’s magnified here because the steering is otherwise so heavy.
Your questions about the 2023 Mercedes-AMG CLS 53
How does the CLS 53 differ from the AMG GT 53 4-Door Coupe?
While both the CLS and the GT look like four-door coupes, the CLS gets a traditional trunk while the GT gets a hatchback. The GT is also a newer car, so the interior is more advanced – mainly around the centre console area – and the styling is a little more advance. Power figures are the same, however, although the GT 4 Door Coupé does get a biturbo V8 option.
Will there be a “new” CLS?
At the time of writing, the CLS will likely be getting replaced in the lineup by a vehicle riding on the W214 platform used by the new E-Class.
The final word
As production of the CLS begins to wind down through 2023, I can’t help but feel just a little melancholic after driving it likely for the last time. It was always such a neat take on the sedan, somehow recalling those great grand tourers of the ‘30s mixed with something from the Steampunk vibe you might find in Gotham City. It remains something of an offbeat take on the traditional sedan, and I love it for that. Plus it offers a drive to match that futuristic-yet-muscular styling.
If you were to snag one of the last ones to roll off the line, you could very well be left with a soon-to-be classic that works perfectly in the modern day.
Strong points
- Attractive black wheels and trim pieces
- Interior combination of materials, colours
- Dual digital displays
- Responsive mild-hybrid powertrain
- Road hugger
Weak points
- Droopy profile view
- Snug rear seat
- No wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Steering heavy without much feel
Competitors of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 4Matic+ Coupe
Audi S5 Sportback
BMW M850i xDrive Gran Coupe
