Dead: Mercedes-Benz CLS

Pour one out if you’re a fan of four-door coupes. Mercedes-Benz has confirmed to Car & Driver that the CLS sedan is officially ending production on August 31, 2023.

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The end of CLS production marks the end of a near-20 year production run that started in 2004. Love it or hate, the CLS was revolutionary, introducing the four-door coupe to the automotive industry. While the design is attractive and spawned variants like the CLA coupes, the CLS indirectly gave way to the unholy spawn that is crossover coupes of which nearly every German automaker makes now.

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While the axing of the CLS may be surprising to some, it’s a long time coming, with hints that things were winding down along the way. The first was the consolidation of the CLS lineup, which once consisted of multiple trim and engine choices ranging from special six cylinders to fire breathing AMG models. For the past few years, though, you’ve only been able to buy one trim: the $76,500 CLS 450 4MATIC. Power comes from a 3.0-liter I6 with a mild hybrid setup making 362 horsepower.