If style is important to luxury shoppers, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class has the upper hand over other sedans on the market.

The radically shaped four-door — it's sometimes called a coupe because of its sporty roofline, and because there are just two seats in back — has been redesigned for 2012, and it looks terrific in its new skin.

The original CLS was no slouch, either; it set the auto world aflutter with its style, but it was hard to see out of, and it had a cramped interior and didn't offer enough performance to satisfy shoppers. Not surprisingly, its success waned quickly.

The 2012 has better visibility, tremendous performance chops — especially the AMG model — and when you compare its interior room with the traditional Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan's, it barely gives an inch.

There's a price to pay for these improvements, though: $10,000 when you compare it with an E550 sedan.

• Style
• Performance
• CLS63 AMG
• Interior
• Features & Pricing
• Safety