In a business not short of marketing hokum, all 'firsts' should be carefully investigated. Toyota, for instance, would like you to believe that its Prius is the world's first hybrid car. Equally, Nissan positions its new Leaf as the first electric vehicle to offer a realistic alternative to a petrol car.
In fact, hybrids go back to the dawn of the last century. And the electric car predates the petrol car and, back in the early years of motoring, was a more popular alternative, especially in the US. In motoring, there is little that is truly 'new'.
Take the four-door coupé, which popular prejudice — backed by the commercial pride of Daimler AG — routinely suggests was pioneered by Mercedes-Benz, with its comely CLS. This type of car currently enjoys great popularity among those who yearn for sports style but want to maintain a level of dignity and practicality that only four doors can offer.
It is true that the CLS, launched in 2004, reignited interest in such vehicles and has gone on to be a commercial success. It was born, partly out of frustration, from Mercedes' inability to compete with BMW in the sports saloon segment. So rather than copy BMW with another low-slung, high-performance motoring missile, a 'think different' approach played to Mercedes' traditional strengths. Its 'coupé' prioritised elegance, refinement, comfort and practicality (not least by having rear doors) — yet looked striking and was enjoyable to drive. Envious rivals have now jumped into the sector, among them Volkswagen (Passat CC), Porsche (Panamera) and even Aston Martin (Rapide). Saloons also get ever more coupé-like in style, including the new low-slung Jaguar XJ.
Audi, no stranger to sportily styled saloons, is also a convert. Its new A7, which fights in the CLS sector, combines typical Audi architecture with a lowered roof, fastback style and surprisingly generous back seat room plus hatchback carrying capacity.
Now Mercedes has launched a new CLS — more rakish, more economical and better to drive than its predecessor. Not that the second and third points matter too much: Mercedes says 80 per cent of people buy this car on style. While the previous model was essentially an old E-class saloon in a sharper suit (and with a £15,000 price hike), the new one uses the latest E as donor vehicle. And, just like the new E, the new CLS has superb mechanical refinement and drives in a beautifully fluid and relaxed way.
While it's true that Mercedes has kick-started a trend, the 'four-door coupé' phenomenon is really about as 21st century as the fedora. Sleek four-door cars — complete with low roof and rakish front and rear lines — are peppered through motoring's past. Rover was a noteworthy proponent: its P5 Coupé was marketed as a 'four door coupé' more than 40 years ago. The sharp-styled Rover SD1 saloon of the 70s and 80s, which openly mimicked the Ferrari Daytona in looks, was lower than the CLS and its rear-end was every bit as rakish. It was also fast, especially in V8 Vitesse guise.
Alas, unlike the CLS, it had a fearsome reputation for unreliability. One of the best pieces of advice I ever read about the SD1 was always to buy the most luxurious version. It was more comfortable to sit in while waiting for the breakdown lorry. And that is clearly not marketing spiel.
Gavin Green is a motoring journalist and consultant.
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