最近谍照记者在瑞典拍到了正在进行寒冷气候测试的第三代奔驰CLS车型。该车与最新款E级车共享同一平台，预计新车轴距进一步增加以便能提供更充裕后排腿部空间。虽然大幅倾斜的车顶线条会使后排乘客头部空间缩小，但这样的设计使车身侧面轮廓更性感。奔驰将为S级改款车提供一系列运行丝般顺滑的直列六缸引擎，这些引擎将于今年晚些时候提供给S级车型，因此预计新一代CLS级车型也将搭载这些引擎。有报道称，奔驰将不会推出新一代CLS Shooting Brake，这意味着保时捷近日发布的Panamera Sport Turismo在市场上将不再有竞争车型。目前还不清楚新一代CLS发布时间，但或许该车将于今年底发布，明年上半年上市。一直有传言称CLS级车型将更名为CLE，但最新报道称新车仍将采用CLS这一名称。

 

2018 Mercedes CLS stubbornly keeps camo in new spy shots

The E-Class’ hot sister has always been a special member of the Mercedes family, and even though the second generation wasn’t able to rekindle the magic of the first one, it’s still gorgeous. The four-door coupe sedan is now getting ready to make the transition towards a third generation, one that’s shaping up to be quite the looker judging by the appearance of a prototype spotted cold-weather testing in Sweden.

 

Riding on the same platform as the latest E-Class, the new CLS is expected to have a slightly longer wheelbase than the regular sedan to free up more rear legroom. The heavily inclined roofline will eat into the headroom for passengers sitting in the back, but that’s the sacrifice buyers will have to live with to have that sexy side profile.

 

Mercedes is about to introduce a series of brand new silky smooth inline-six engines in the facelifted S-Class due later this year, so expect some of these to trickle down onto the CLS in both gasoline and diesel flavors.

 

Reports are indicating the CLS Shooting Brake is not coming back for a new generation, which means the recently unveiled Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo won’t have to worry about a rival with the three-pointed star logo.

 

It’s not clear at this point when the third-gen CLS will be introduced, but it might debut towards the end of the year and go on sale in the first half of 2018. It remains to be seen whether those rumors about a change to the “CLE” moniker will pan out, although the latest reports indicate it will stick to its “CLS” nameplate.