2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS teased

The next-generation 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLS has been teased on social media this week, ahead of its unveiling at the Los Angeles motor show later this month.

A pair of images were posted to Twitter, accompanied by "The Original Perfected" as a tagline. The first shadowy teaser shows the front of the vehicle, with its LED daytime-running light signature and front grill the main visible items. It's likely the car will be revealed in a deep metallic red.

The second image shows the central infotainment screen and surrounding air vents, again with a red theme to the LED interior lighting and air vent internals.

Unlike the wider Mercedes-Benz passenger car range, which have smooth LED strips running along the top edge of their headlights, the CLS features a signature that sharply curves alongside the grille – much like the AMG GT range.

The CLS is expected to use the same MRA platform underpinning the C-, E- and S-Class, with powertrains also expected to come from its stablemates. That likely means a range of turbocharged four-, six- and potentially eight-cylinder petrol and diesel mills will feature.

Mercedes-Benz has given the new model the full "CLS Coupe" name, confirming rumours that the new-generation car would retain its nameplate rather than switching to match the related E-Class family.

We already have a rough idea of how the new CLS will look based on the camouflaged prototypes that have been spied recently (above).

However, it's unknown at this stage whether there will be a full-blown AMG 63 model, due to the impending introduction of the rumoured 'AMG GT4' that is expected to serve as the four-door coupe flagship. It's believed, though, that an 'AMG 53' variant with hybrid tech will join the line-up.

In saying that, prototypes we've seen of late (above) look very similar to the CLS – with the exception of the slimmer tail-lights, which are closer to the AMG GT than the Mercedes-Benz coupe range.

Stay tuned to CarAdvice for our coverage of the Los Angeles motor show.

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