Of the three models in the CLS range, this one is expected to be the number one seller in the UK by a significant margin, being chosen by an estimated 65% of all customers. The company expects to do better from conquest sales, attracting the interest of people who might have bought an Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus or Porsche. In this respect the CLS will live or die by its looks, which are certainly distinctive. Whether or not this is a beautiful car is a matter for your own judgement, but personally I think it depends on where you are standing. From some angles the design is a success, but from others the car seems dumpy when the intended effect was surely that it should seem sporting. On the contrary, the test car felt to me like a large limousine - not because it's especially luxurious on smooth roads but because it lumbers along on twisty ones. Changes of direction are accompanied by a feeling of "oh, well, if you insist, but give me a good long straight soon, would you?" I can't quite see a Porsche enthusiast being impressed by this sort of thing. Inevitably, the CLS seems very similar to an E-Class from the inside, though it's significantly lower and capable of holding just two large adults for any great length of time. For a car costing more than £43,000 at its most basic (but wait till you hear about the options), the CLS is appropriately comfortable, yet there are some oddities which I would not expect from a car in which I had invested to quite this extent. Engine 3498 cc, 6 cylinders Power 272 bhp @6000 rpm Torque 258 ib/ft @2400 rpm Transmission 7 speed semi-auto Fuel/CO2 28 mpg / 241 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 7sec Top speed 155 mph Price From £42626.00 approx Release date 01/04/2005