Mercedes Benz CLS500 white satin

“Not for everyone” is the tagline for the updated Mercedes-Benz CLS range, which has been freshened up with revised styling, increased levels of standard equipment, altered prices and some big mechanical changes.

For 2015, small visual updates to the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class inside and out, plus a few under-the-skin changes help keep it fresh. Surprisingly, the most outward change is also the most subtle—the redesigned front end gives the CLS-Class a fresh face, but without any cartoonish signs of redesign. If anything, the 2015 CLS looks the way it always should have, modern and just on the line between bold and elegant. Inside, the 2015 CLS-Class wears Mercedes’ latest interior design theme with grace, wrapped in luxurious leathers and high-quality woods, with an aesthetic that seamlessly blends classic with high-tech.

The large, luxurious cabin of the CLS-Class pairs well with its elegant exterior, potent powertrains, and high-tech features, putting it among the top four-door luxury coupes on the market.

Under the hood, the CLS 400 gets a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine rated at 329 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. It’s a brisk performer, never lagging in traffic, and easily passing at any speed. The CLS 550 uses the familiar 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine rated at 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque for even more impressive acceleration. Both rear-wheel-drive and 4Matic all-wheel-drive versions of the CLS are available. An AMG-tuned CLS 63 AMG is also available, cranking out up to 585 horsepower.

But the real news under the skin of the new 2015 CLS-Class is the nine-speed automatic transmission, now standard equipment on the CLS 550 rear-drive models, and later expanding to other models in the CLS-Class range. This new transmission provides even more seamless, smooth shifting, and should improve gas mileage in the real world, thanks to the additional intermediary steps and higher top gear.