There will be no Shooting Brake version, unfortunately
Prepare to say goodbye to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, because the sleek four-door coupe will change its name to CLE when the new generation model arrives in 2018.
Why change an iconic nameplate with one that sounds rather uninspiring? Because it follows the automaker's new nomenclature, with the "E" being a reference to the platform donor, the E-Class.
Due to launch in summer 2018, the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLE retains the four-door coupe silhouette, as these spy shots prove. The design is more evolution than revolution, although a controversial styling cue of the current model, the pronounced hip, will be eliminated.
Another significant change regards the taillights, which will be horizontal rather than diagonal. Inside, the CLE will adopt a similar dashboard to the E-Class, dominated by two large displays.
Fans of stylish Mercedes estates are in for a disappointment, though: the CLE will do away with the Shooting Brake body style and will only be available as a four-door coupe.
Things will happen under the bonnet too, with the CLE ditching V6 engines for Mercedes' new generation of inline six-cylinder units. Furthermore, the 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesels will be replaced by the newer and more refined 2.0-liter unit.
The CLE will arrive in dealerships in summer 2018.
Spy shots: AUTOMEDIA
Rendering: CHRISTIAN SCHULTE