Yesterday, I had the chance to stop at Sindelfingen as I was driving from Zurich to Stuttgart. Though I was "unannounced", I was treated quite respectfully by the personnel at the Customer Center and introduced to the head of the Designo operation. He checked the production inventory and found the one CLS 55 that was awaiting shipment. He then very kindly drove me out to the car and allowed me to sit in it.

As readers of this forum and the E 55 one may know, I am terribly disappointed by one aspect of my E 55 -- the front seats being too narrow between the side bolsters. I am, therefore, DELIGHTED to be able to say that these are a bit wider, and that increment makes all the difference in the world. These seats hug one snuggly, somewhat like the driver's seat in a racing car.

Other quick observations:

The car looks much more aggressive than the E 55 due to its swooping styling; those four exhausts in the rear are the perfect final accent. The instrumentation is the same as the E 55, though all that wood does make a difference in the appearance of the dash. The new aluminum pedals are truly cool. The steering wheel appears to have been thickened, in response to numerous complaints about the one in the E 55. The visibility of the "blind spots" is definitely poorer, however, due to the smaller rear windows. As a consequence, the CLS 55 I was in had a curved side mirror that was surprisingly effective. I don't know whether such a mirror will be allowed in the United States.

Finally, a word about Designo -- once again, we in the United States will have a very limited choice, two or, at best, three package choices. There are two reasons for this, I was told. First, every leather and every paint would need to be tested for NTSB for fire compliance; this is a costly process. Second, Mercedes-Benz tries to have a maximum of two days' response to an inventory call. Given that so few people actually pay up the thousands of dollars for Designo ehancements, both incurring the costs for the testing of each paint color and leather choice and keeping inventory of all of those additional skews in dealerships around the country is more than Mercedes-Benz is willing to do. The actual packages will be announced in the April-May period.

This is truly sad. I saw all the new colors for the CLS model, and they are extraordinary. The red looks like a fine burgundy shown through an illuminated glass; for the first time, there is a pearlescent white; the new bronze color is incredible; etc. Given all those wonderful colors, it is such a pity that the standard palette offered in the United States is so boring and dull.

Just so that this message doesn't end on a sour note, let me say that I think everyone who has ordered a CLS 55 will be utterly thrilled. This is the car, I know, I have been waiting for!

 

Great write up! I'm also saddened by the lack of colors we get in the States
Maybe it's only a matter of time eh?

 

Thanks for the post. Hope they took you upstairs for some complimentary soft pretzels, and that tasty gingerale-apple miixed soft drink there in the Kundencenter. Of course if you got to look at the Designo colors then you must have gotten past the locked doorway where the SLK was hidden at least last September when I was there. Did you ask to get access to the Maybach order/display building next door?

When I was there saw lots of CLS350's on car carriers and in the factory parking lots. Looks like the CLS500 is going to be somewhat limited with the CLS55 even more so. Since no 4matic will be available with the CLS models I'm not sure how well they will sell in the snow states - but for the Florida and California buyers there should be adequate demand for the numbers projected to be available in the US.

I have only two complaints about the CLS models apart from the fact that 4matic will not be available - 1st the panorama glass roof on the showcar model has been deleted and 2nd the rear end treatment is disconcerting for some reason. Perhaps the AMG version improves on this last complaint though as I have not yet seen an AMG model.

 

Jonathan --- Thanks a million for that write-up. I'm leaning toward the 'ol black/black combo since none of the existing M-B colors are interesting enough to stray to. I'd like to see a really amazing deep blue metallic or a grey like my 540's "Sterling Grey" (I get compliments on that color constantly), but I doubt that we'll be so lucky. But when it comes down to it, just the fact that we're fortunate enough to own this kind of car at all is all that really matters. Thanks again!

Brady

 

Thanks for the info Jonathan. I am a newcomer to this site, ordered my cls 55 2 weeks ago. Exited about the car. to me, it's simply beautiful. I expect to recieve it next summer

 

Jonathon, thanks for being so informative. Can you check the MB Italian site (see below) and see if the designo colors there are like the new CLS 55 Designo colors. Did you actually see Designo edition colors on the CLS-55's or where thay on the CLS 500's? If you saw them on the CLS 55, did you remember seeing a wooden Steering wheel. Its included on the CLS 500 version (shame they dont do it on the E-55 designo). I am thinking of going to Sindlefingen just to see the Designo colors in person and decide if I want to get a Euro spec and import it into the States just so I can get the color of choice. Were there enough CLS 55's with the various designo color combos to see?

Does anyone know about importing a European version of the new CLS 55? If someone were living in another country and moving to the US permanantly and wanted to bring their car with them, Mercedes would still have to honor their warranty just as if they would if say they were travelling around the rest of Europe vacationing in their car. If something needed fixing if it were to break (mechanical or interior wear) while travelling through another country, Mercedes warrants it at any dealer (I know this as I used to live in England and had warranty work done in Spain while travelling).

Is there much to change to make it a US Spec and how would one go about it? At least a person can get exactly the choices that europeans get. I think that one of the main reasons that you dont see many of the designo colors here in the states is that the choice IS SO LIMITED. I for one do not want a dark color (mocha or Graphite as offered on the current E class).
However, I would order a degno with a lighter color. Go see all the colors that Euros get to choose from. http://www.mercedes-benz.it/vetture/..._e/default.htm Then click on the photo of the car, then the Designo button and then click 'configura la tua designo'. Presto! there you have pretty much any color you could dream of!