As the old saying goes, “third time’s the charm!” It couldn’t ring more true when the third generation Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class bowed in Detroit early last year, and then in Malaysia after that in August.

Though we’ve already sampled it in its CLS 450 Edition 1 form on a press drive to Kuantan last year, it was a brief encounter to say. Now, we’ve finally had a go with it over a weekend and, simply put, Merc’s original four-door coupe is something we know, many will savour indeed.

If you looked back at the CLS-Class’s lineage, the first iteration was exquisite. Mercedes had indeed created and dominated a niche market space comfortably.

 But by the time the second-generation car came about, its rivals had caught up. What didn’t help too were the second-gen car’s rather bland looks.

Thankfully, this third generation offering, especially in Edition 1 trim as featured, sees the famed three-pointed star’s design team deserving of applause. Much of the first-gen car’s magic has returned, looking both sleek and muscular from all angles.

Couple those sharp lines with Merc’s new ‘face’ led by a pair of striking LED daytime running lights, the CLS effortlessly commands plenty of attention wherever it goes. Tasty here too are the Edition 1 trim’s exclusive 20-inch wheels design, which adds to this car’s stylish stance altogether.

Of course, looks aren’t everything and, fortunately, this Merc has got plenty of substance to match that. Climb aboard into the cabin and, in typical Merc fashion, you’re greeted by copious amounts of fine black leather,  soft-touch trims, not forgetting a dash of elegant dark wood and gloss black accents.

In Edition 1 trim as featured, the CLS 450’s cabin even gets the striking ‘Copper Art’ motif, which adds diamond pattern plus contrasting copper-hued contrast seat stitching, the latter being evident on the two sports seats up front and rear bench, as well as the door inserts.

By the way, the powertrain also packs Merc’s new generation mild hybrid tech integrated with the petrol mill. Not only is it responsible for some parts of said outputs, it also aids the CLS 450 at keeping both its fuel economy and emissions in check.

It also keeps everything else on board powered during the petrol engine’s idling stop-start cycle.

At this point, it’s plain to see that the CLS 450 is indeed posh, powerful and fairly intelligent.

The next query you might have is of course on how it drives. The short answer here is that is that it drives as good as it looks. Surely, any discerning driving enthusiast will be chuffed with the way this four-door coupe drives.

Much of this comes courtesy of the CLS 450’s adoption of Merc’s ‘Lowered Comfort Suspension’ on top of adaptive dampers. Combined, the setup grants this sleek four-door with a low stance to match without sacrificing too much on comfort.

If anything, the added versatility between sporty stiffness and daily driving comfort is a bonus many will appreciate.

Predictably, the only thing that might not sit well with most driving enthusiasts will be the typically muted feel of the electric steering unit.

Still, there are things like the highly responsive brakes and our tester’s grippy Goodyear Eagle sports tyres that add up to this four-door coupe’s otherwise exciting drive.

Yes, there are other quirks besides that too, namely the sleek and low roofline’s trade off in cabin headroom, most especially for those seated in the back.

The said quirk is amplified further should you have a tall, pro basketballer-like physique, but this isn’t a deal-breaker to say the least given how plush things feel on board.

SPECS