Mercedes to End CLS Production

The Mercedes-Benz CLS will cease production after 19 years and three model generations.

In a recent advisory to its international operations, Mercedes-Benz says the couple-like 4-door will end production in August to free up assembly capacity for the new sixth-generation E-Class at its Sindelfingen manufacturing plant in Germany.

The current third-generation CLS has been in production since 2018, giving it a production run three years shorter than originally planned. Wards Intelligence product cycle data shows production was to have ended in 2026.

Without a successor model in the development pipeline, the CLS name will be retired from the lineup, a Mercedes-Benz official tells Autocar.

Production of the first-generation CLS ran from 2004 to 2010, with the second-generation model built between 2010 and 2018.

The original CLS pioneered the coupe-like sedan genre in the premium segment upon its launch, giving rise to a series of 4-door competitors from rival automakers, including the Audi A7 and BMW 6-Series GranCoupe.

All three generations of the CLS model have been heavily based on the E-Class with the two sharing platforms, drivetrains and key components such as suspension and electrical architectures.

Among the key design elements distinguishing the Mercedes-Benz are its uniquely styled body, including a bold front end, high waistline, curved roof and sloping trunk line.

A Shooting Brake, aka station wagon, variant of the second-generation CLS was introduced to selected markets in 2012 as a more practical alternative to the sedan. However, it was not replaced when the third-generation model was launched in 2018.

As part of a consolidation of its lineup, Mercedes-Benz is positioning the EQE sedan as an indirect electric-powered replacement for the CLS.