The Mercedes-Benz vehicles of today blend high-end luxury build quality with high performance and style. Heavy on the style part of that equation, the CLS gets an updated exterior, loses the rear-drive option, and can be outfitted inside with a larger number of leather-upholstery options for the 2022 model year.

The 2022 CLS450 gets a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine equipped with a hybrid-assist system. The 48-volt EQ Boost feature helps the engine develop 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It also improves torque off the line and helps fill in gaps between transmission shifts. Speaking of which, every CLS comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Five driving modes are on offer to tailor drivetrain behavior and vehicle dynamics to various road conditions and driving situations.

The CLS features an exquisite interior with Nappa leather and a variety of metal and wood trim options. The car’s high style comes at the cost of interior space, however, as the CLS only manages 35 inches of legroom in the rear seat. The trunk also suffers, with just 12 cubic feet of space, just half of some of its rivals’ cargo areas.

Though it’s short on interior space, the CLS makes up points with its technology, which is impressive. The car comes with a 12.3-inch infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, both of which span halfway across the dash on a single large pane of glass. The latest version of Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment system runs here, as does Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system can be controlled via the touchscreen or through a center console-mounted touchpad. A head-up display (HUD) and wireless smartphone charging are available.

The CLS gets a few advanced driver aids as standard equipment, but many are added-cost options. Blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, and automatic emergency braking are all standard. Features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning cost extra.

Mercedes hasn’t released pricing or sale information for the CLS yet, but the 2021 model started around $74,000. The 2022 model is expected to land close to that number when it goes on sale sometime early in calendar-year 2022.