Coupe de grace

PITSTOP

The smashing new Mercedes-Benz CLS has just arrived in Mumbai. The CLS "�a 'four-door coupe' "� has been brought in by Auto Hangar, the Mercedes dealership in the city. First seen as the Vision CLS concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2003, DaimlerChrysler was encouraged by the response and got the rather unique automobile into production.

It's called a coupe simply because of its low, sporty silhouette, though it has four doors and more than adequate room for two at the back. The gorgeous CLS 500 is powered by a 4966cc V8, which develops 306 bhp and 46.4 kgm of torque and is mated to Mercedes' new 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission.

And it's loaded with stuff too "� Airmatic air suspension system, Thermotronic automatic climate control, Sensotronic Brake Control, Parktronic, active lighting, the works. The CLS is aimed at a younger audience, who think an S-Class is too fuddy-duddy. And who are wealthy too.

The CLS 500 retails for Rs 69,51,867, while the CLS 350 is yours for Rs 58,20,495. Be seen in one.

Yetiquette

At the recently held Geneva Motor Show, one of the understated models amongst all that glitz and glamour was this concept, the Skoda Yeti. The Yeti fits between the Fabia and the Octavia, and is a segment that's open for Skoda to enter.

The Yeti is an outdoorsy mini-SUV concept that, like most Skodas, straddles segments in terms of size. The Yeti borrows some design features from the Roomster concept, which shows the way Skodas of the future are going to look.

The Yeti promises to be capable both on and off the road. And the moment it gets into production and right-hand drive models are developed, the Yeti is a sureshot for launch in India.