THE next generation of the super-sleek Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupe has been revealed and will be on sale in the spring of 2018.

Looking as stylish as the original which set the trend for a new breed of coupes in 2003, the new model has a more pronounced nose with a wider grille and pronounced air scoops.

The interior takes much of its design cues from the latest Mercedes E-Class and features two wide display screens stretching from the centre of the dashboard to in front of the driver.

Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Mercedes says that the latest CLS will enter the market in March next year.

Three all-new engines will be available, two diesel and one petrol. All are 3.0-litre straight six blocks with all-wheel-drive and automatic transmissions.

The diesels are said to offer fuel economy of 50 to the gallon with emissions of 148g/km and will come in two states of tune - 286hp in the CLS 350 d and 340hp in the CLS 400 d.

The petrol engine in the CLS 450 develops 367hp making it the quickest of the three with a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 4.8 seconds. Fuel economy is a claimed 38mpg with a CO2 figure of 178g/km.

The CLS 450 makes use of a mild-hybrid system and a 48-volt onboard electrical system which boosts power by a further 22hp under acceleration and enables to enter a ‘sailing' mode to improve economy. The car is also fitted with a particulate filter.

Mercedes says the new set up is equivalent to the performance expected from an eight cylinder engine.

Acceleration times for the two diesels are 5.7 seconds for the 350 d and 5.0 seconds in the 400 d.

All models will be fitted with LED headlamps and will sit on 18-inch alloys while lane keeping assist, an interior ambient lighting system and onboard Internet connectivity will also be standard.

Air suspension is an option and the new CLS is designed as a long distance tourer with comfort features including massaging seats and a variety of cabin fragrances with mood lighting at night.

As well as a full compliment of safety systems akin to those found on the S-Class saloon, the new CLS will be available with Mercedes' semi-autonomous driving system allowing the car to control itself under certain conditions.

New features include traffic monitoring which is hooked up to satellite navigation information to give a more accurate picture of driving behaviour, Car-to-X technology which can monitor the activity of other vehicles and an office function which can dial in automatically to conference calls.

Changes to the seating layout see the third generation CLS now a five seater with three individually folding rear seats extending the capacity of the 520 litre boot.

Prices for the new models are still to be announced.