wheels
‘While early electric cars had a slightly strange look about them, the Leaf is a true family car’
Nissan Leaf
small. Overall, though, this is a true supercar!
Mercedes-Benz CLS (2012) Choosing the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence as the international launch base for the new Mercedes-Benz CLS sent a clear signal that the model was something special. Those of you who have been lucky enough to visit this magnificent hotel, with its stunning internal gar- dens, will know what I mean. Here one finds true ele- gance and luxury in a unique blend. When Mercedes-Benz introduced the first CLS in
2004, some wondered if there was a market for an upmarket four-door coupé with strictly four seats. However, as soon as the sales figures came tumbling in, the verdict was clear – the car was selling like hot cakes. Now the company has to ensure that Generation Two does likewise, while at the same time fighting off new rivals like the Audi A7 and the forthcoming version of BMW6 Series, also a four-door 2+2. Although the new model is instantly recognisable, its
external design is now more assertive, giving the vehicle a stronger presence on the streets. The side look is par- ticularly well executed, with upper and lower tapering lines giving the car a fluid-motion appearance. However, there is still the same slightly droopy fade-away to the tail of the car. The new generation is slightly longer than before. This principally benefits rear occupants, who now have larger doors and more interior space, while boot capacity is slightly bigger, too, now holding a generous 520 litres.
72 Irish Director Winter 2010
Under the bonnet, the engines are now cleaner, with
lower emissions. Yet, most units are also more powerful, some significantly so. This was the case with the car driven in Tuscany, a 350CDI, where power is now 265bhp – an increase of 41bhp – and a massive 620Nm of torque is delivered from just 1600rpm. Drive to the rear wheels is through the company’s seven-speed automatic gearbox, now improved in its responses, though it can still seem a bit sleepy when left to its own devices. One can also shift gears manually, using paddles behind the wheel, though these could be more prominently displayed. That said, they work very satisfactorily when driving on a twisty, mountain road. The other significant engineering improvement is a new electro-mechanical steering sys- tem, of which more later. The car also gets lots of driver aids – now totalling 12 – as well as very efficient and effective LED headlights, though these are not standard on all versions. The hills of Tuscany were covered in drizzly rain dur-
ing the first test period and the wet autumnal roads pro- vided an ideal opportunity to try out the car’s balance and handling over two mountain passes on the pre-set route. The results were impressive. Reactions to driver inputs through the new steering system were excellent, the car turning into corners very precisely and changing direction exactly as required. Indeed, with this new steering, the car seems to shrink around the driver, so one feels that one is driving a much smaller vehicle. As expected, the brakes performed very well at all times, though a keen driver would wish that the ESP stability
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