Ask any designer, and they will tell you that curves add glamour. Whether you’re styling an aircraft hangar or saloon car, sleek lines are a guaranteed way to attract attention.
Mercedes was the first luxury maker to get to grips with this. After years of making elegant but straight-laced saloons,
it came up with the stunning CLS. Sitting somewhere between its existing E-Class executive and S-Class luxury cars, the four-door coupé mixed jaw-dropping looks with serene comfort and punchy performance.
The all-new model picks up where its predecessor left off, but this time it has competition. Audi is never one to ignore a new niche, and its A7 is aimed directly at the CLS. The only difference is that it features five doors rather than four.
Is there about to be a changing of the guard? The standard CLS 350 costs £49,988, which is £1,918 more than A7 3.0 TFSI SE. And with four-wheel drive and turbo power, the early odds are stacked in its favour.
But there is an added complication.
Porsche introduced the Panamera V6 last May, and while it carries a hefty premium over its more mainstream rivals here, the cheapest model in the line-up promises the strongest performance and most prestige. And the V6 accounted for a third of the giant hatchback’s sales in 2010, so it’s proving popular, too.
1st Mercedes CLS 350
All-new saloon picks up where original left off, serving up strong blend of style, grace, comfort and performance
2nd Audi A7 Sportback
Rakish lines, hatch practicality and 4WD give strong appeal
3rd Porsche Panamera
Does thrilling driving experience justify saloon’s hefty price?
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