The folks over at Spanish publication km77 have put the new Mercedes-Benz CLS, which is expected to arrive on South African shores soon, through the dreaded Moose Test.

In the video below, the CLS – in this instance, the 350d 4Matic derivative – is subjected to one of the toughest handling tests out there, which is designed to simulate an animal suddenly running in front of a moving vehicle.

As we’ve pointed out before, though, whereas the Swedes usually perform the evaluation at about 60 km/h, this test from the Spaniards is conducted at higher speeds. The CLS (here running on optional 20-inch alloys wrapped in 245/35 R20 Pirelli P Zero rubber in the front and 275/30 R20 at the rear) was first put to the test at 77 km/h, but just about hit one cone.

Further attempts were made at 76 km/h and 80 km/h. The publication reported that, at high speeds the Pre-Safe Sound system was activated, emitting an intense noise to prepare the occupants to protect themselves in case of a collision.

The best result the CLS could manage, without knocking over any cones, was a far lower 73 km/h. However, this still resulted in a “good” rating for the Stuttgart-based brand’s swoopy saloon.

The 3,0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine of the third-generation CLS tested here produces 210 kW and 600 N.m of torque, making this model capable of reaching 0-100 km/h in a claimed 5,7 seconds.

Watch the clip below, which includes a slalom test, to see just how the luxury five-door performed (take note that the commentary is in Spanish)…

Author: Marius Boonzaier

Original article from Car