Nothing too outrageous or trendy, mind you; the CLS550 and CLS63 AMG each get a new two-bar grille (replacing the original four-bar grille), LED taillights, and side-view mirrors with 32-percent-larger glass and built-in arrow-shaped turn signals. The base 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (which accounts for 90 percent of sales) also gets new 18-inch wheels with a five-twin-spoke design, a new rear bumper with trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes (replacing oval ones).

Inside, both models get three-spoke steering wheels (the 2009 CLS's has thumb-rests and is squared off at the bottom to indicate extreme sportiness) and a brand-new center screen and user interface to control the audio, climate, and navigation systems.

Unfortunately, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS doesn't drive as well as the Jaguar. The Mercedes V-8 is very strong but the seven-speed automatic is slow to downshift. I also find the air suspension really disconnects the driver from road. It is too floaty and I don't like constantly having to toggle the suspension switch to try to contain body motions. In the end, I wish the Jaguar XF was more dramatic like the 2009 CLS but that the Mercedes drove as well as the Jaguar.

To me, the CLS is all about styling.

So sure, maybe it doesn't handle with the precision of the XF, or with the aggressiveness of its AMG counterpart, but for pure presence, the CLS is hard to beat.

But it's not just during autobahn-style blasts that the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 is awesome; curves can be very fun, too, thanks to the car's excellent balance and steering.

With black paint and the AMG styling touches, the CLS's anti-sedan design reaches peak chic. Fuel mileage of 12/18 mpg city/highway becomes a nonfactor. If I paid more than $115K for a car, however, I'd expect it to at least have parking sensors and/or a reverse camera.

Would I buy one? Probably not. The C63 is more my style; it's less ostentatious, more practical, and slightly more of a hooligan.

Not to be overshadowed by a newer, four-door for the masses, Mercedes' segment-defining, exclusive 2009 CLS gets a revised grille (now with two louvers instead of four), a new rear apron with trapezoid exhaust pipes, a three-spoke steering wheel, a new infotainment system, new side mirrors and taillights outfitted with arrow-shaped LED turn indicators, and perhaps the biggest news, a new 3.0-liter V-6.

In an effort to improve the Mercedes-Benz CLS's performance, the 6.3-liter AMG version is now outfitted with a transmission that blips the throttle during downshifts.

After defining a new segment with its low roof and coupe-like profile, other manufacturers are lining up to trace the Mercedes CLS silhouette. Jaguar's new XF, the recently announced Volkswagen Passat CC, and even BMW's X6 all bank on the four-door coupe phenomenon.

Power from the two V-8s - 382 hp and 391 lb-ft for the 5.5-liter, and 507 hp and 465 lb-ft from the 6.2-liter AMG engine - is unchanged.