Mercedes 'BLS' breaks cover

20th June 2011

The secret is finally out! Auto Express has the first spy shots of the the much rumoured Mercedes 'BLS'. 

Spied on test in Germany, the newcomer is essentially a scaled down CLS, and blends the practicality of a four door saloon with the style and sporting appeal of a coupé.

Aimed at the recently revealed A3 saloon, and second-generation Passat CC, the BLS is based on the same chassis tehnology that will underpin the new A and B-Class, which Auto Express was given an exclusive ride in earlier in 2011.

Though our shots show a heavily disguised prototype, our sources have confirmed that the car will pay particular attention to design. As a result the front wheel drive machine will get sculpted bodywork, that in profile at least looks very similar to the current CLS.

A sloping rear roofline will add to the sporty feel, while inside the cabin will be arranged to seat four passengers, with individual chairs for each and plenty of space.

Under the bonnet, drivers will find an all new 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with either 120 or 154bhp and a lighter, more efficient 1.8-litre diesel engine that will also be introduced on the C-Class and E-Class saloons later next year. This model could also benefit from the same 265bhp 2.0-litre turbo unit that will power the AMG version of the new A-Class, and 4matic all-wheel-drive.

All the new cars have done away with the previous-generation models’ unique ‘sandwich’ architecture, which means the interior is expected to offer a spacious layout - and allow room for a variety of advanced engines. 

By 2014, the B-Class will have a mild-hybrid, a range-extender plug-in hybrid, an electric-only variant, with the last two being built in limited numbers at first, and there's even talk of an ‘F-cell’ hydrogen model, although whether these technolgies will be introduced on the sportier BLS is yet to be confirmed.