| First Drive | Cannes, France | Mercedes-Benz CL-Class |

You may have already seen our recent report on the S-Class and its new range of engines, but Merc's luxury saloon isn't the only model that's in for some tweaks. After a day of testing the new S, we jumped behind the wheel of the latest CL-Class, which also features a couple of revised engines, along with some modest styling tweaks.

In the Metal

Exterior revisions to the CL are fairly minor - it's still a beast of a coupé with huge road presence and an endless bonnet. The biggest changes are to the front, as there are now three air intakes in the bumper as well as chrome trim and LED daytime running lights. New taillights are the order of the day at the rear, but that's about it.

The interior is near identical to that of the S-Class - save for the saloon's acres of rear legroom. Room for rear passengers actually isn't bad for a coupé, though. The dash is cleanly styled and of the highest quality. There's plenty of kit but the myriad of buttons is housed in a very subtle way. Refinement is second-to-none and the powerful grumble from the engines is usually the only audible sound.

What you get for your Money

Cheap it is not. Prices start at £89,425 for the CL 500 BlueEFFICENCY model - that represents a modest 1.5 percent increase over the outgoing version. The costliest derivative is the CL 65 AMG at £156,430, which, despite the wince-inducing price tag, is only one percent dearer than its predecessor.

The CL 600 and CL 65 AMG models - complete with mighty V12 engines - remain, with modest reductions in emissions and running costs. The big news is the new CL 500 BlueEFFICENCY and the CL 63 AMG: the former now has a 4.7-litre V8 - as opposed to a 5.5-litre unit - while the new AMG model is packing a 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 in place of the existing 6.2-litre naturally aspirated powerplant.

Driving it

You could be forgiven for thinking that significantly smaller engines mean less power - but that's really not the case. Each engine has much lower emissions and greater fuel economy but rather than blunting the performance, Merc has managed to squeeze a further 46bhp and 125lb.ft of torque from the CL 500's engine (429bhp and 516lb.ft in total) and an extra 45bhp and an incredible 200lb.ft more from the CL 63's V8 (563bhp and 664lb.ft in total) when ordered with the AMG Performance package. A slightly more sedate version is available.

Obviously, that makes for mind-boggling performance. The CL 500 is exceptionally smooth and very swift indeed, with a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds. Peak torque is available from as low as 1,800rpm, so the big Merc has plenty of surge from the off.

As with the updated S-Class, the CL's seven-speed automatic gearbox is designed to keep the revs low and put efficiency first, so it has a tendency to hang on to higher gears rather than instantly dropping a cog when you give it some boot. That's where the wheel-mounted paddles come in - they give the driver more control.

The CL 500 could never be called slow, but the 63 AMG is in a different league. The interior detailing hints at this model's potential - there are various classy aluminium touches, an AMG-branded clock and soft but grippy Alcantara sections on the big steering wheel. Acceleration is slightly improved over the 500 at 4.4 seconds, but it's the mid-range stuff that really counts - the CL 63 rockets forward with effortless and unending pace from any speed. The noise is by far its most encapsulating trait, though. The tailpipes emit a loud - and sometimes uneven - machine gun-style snarl. Travelling with the windows down or just listening to someone else drive off never gets old.

In terms of chassis, both versions ride exceptionally well - naturally the AMG is a little firmer, but never uncomfortable. The steering is meatier than we expected, as Merc is renowned for its feather-light controls. It's also very accurate and there's no end of grip from the humungous tyres. A small amount of ESP-reigned oversteer is possible, but the driving aids keep the CL in check for the most part. That amount of power to the rear wheels could be something of a handful without them, though the BlueEFFICENCY version is available with Mercedes' 4MATIC four-wheel drive system.

Worth Noting

Like the S-Class, the CL has been decked out with new safety equipment. Active Lane-Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist have been improved and subtly help to keep the car on the straight and narrow. Active Body Control keeps the vehicle stable in heavy crosswinds, too.

As we mentioned, efficiency has also been significantly improved with revised injection and ignition systems and stop-start. Economy is up 23 percent on the CL 500 to 29.7mpg and emissions are down by 64- to 224g/km. The C 63 AMG model offers 26.9mpg and 244g/km - with or without the Performance package according to Mercedes.

Summary

The CL-Class is an astonishing machine for the lucky few that can indulge. The engines - particularly the AMG-tuned V8 - are superb. To get that kind of power and simultaneously improve economy in a big way leaves us wondering how Mercedes can possibly better its engineering efforts in this area.