DRIVEN + VIDEO: Is The Mercedes-AMG CLS53 ALL The AMG You NEED?

At the 2018 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS), Mercedes-Benz introduced some all-new AMG models. If you were hoping for 63s then you were disappointed. 

But if you were just hoping for some more tarted up Benzes, you walked away happy.

Personally, I have been pretty stoked about the three-pointed star debuting these all-new, middler AMG vehicles. That's because for some folks the 63s are just a bit overkill. But if you want more grunt over the standard cars and you want that extra bit of style and flair the AMG variants provide then there's no other logical choice. 

Think of it this way: With Porsche you have the 911 Carrera S, the Carrera GTS and then the GT3. If you're really looking for the best of both worlds without going crazy, the GTS is the obvious choice. That's the role these 53 models play. 

At the end of the day though what really matters is if these cars still have that certain X-factor and they exude that AMG character. So, what's the verdict? See below as Autocar puts a CLS53 to the test. 


The new Mercedes-Benz CLS is here. Now in its third generation, the 2018 CLS continues where its forebears left off: a large coupe-like four door that competes with the Audi A7 and BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe. Here, Matt Prior tests the range-topping model, the AMG 53, which features a new 3.0-litre six cylinder engine with not just a turbo, but an electric supercharger and a mild hybrid system too. What’s it like? Fast, refined and, as we’ll see, not without a dose of AMG character. Would you pick one over its rivals?



The 2018 Detroit Auto Show photo galleries are sponsored by Lexus. 

Detroit Auto Show Photo Gallery

skytop - 3/17/2018 10:59:42 PM

0 Boost

Interesting video. Nice scenery. Maintenance on this new AMG EV hybrid might prove to be a real challenge.

cidflekken - 3/18/2018 12:38:47 AM

+2 Boost

Love this car.

valhallakey - 3/18/2018 12:52:35 AM

+2 Boost

I really liked the first gen CLS, but this one the rear is starting to look like the weird Seville of the 80s and it has gotten a lot chunkier looking as it is aging...but then again I guess most of us will be chunkier with sagging rears as we age. Maybe it is just a thing?

TomM - 3/18/2018 5:53:34 AM

+2 Boost

I think the problem is not that the rear looks like it is sagging - it is that the rear does not really look like a Mercedes rear - especially the lights.

I actually like the way it looks though - but I still do not accept the premise that it is a UNIVERSAL vehicle. IF it were - why does Mercedes produce dozens of others?

MDarringer - 3/18/2018 10:00:54 AM

-1 Boost

This is by far the best looking CLS Mercedes has ever done. The first one was ugly. The second one was generic. This is a motorcar. I am pretty sure I will not buy one, but I most decidedly cannot wait to drive one when I get a chance.