Mercedes-Benz created the four-door "coupe" segment with the CLS-Class more than a decade ago. Now that stylish segment is chock full of competitors including the Audi A7, BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe, Porsche Panamera, even the Kia Stinger, plus a number of other fastback-inspired sedans.

Now Mercedes-Benz is ready to launch the third-generation CLS.

This new 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS is a big deal because it represents the next step in the evolution of Mercedes-Benz design and it marks the debut of the brand's new 48-volt mild hybrid technology.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS preview

The swoopy profile features a short greenhouse with precious little glass. Up front is a grille inspired by the Panamericana design from Mercedes-AMG, and flowing lines move back from there, highlighted by that sleek and sexy rear pillar.

Inside, well, it's just gorgeous with turbine-style air vents, and lovely wood, leather, and metal. Buyers can get a single 12.3-inch screen or two of them laid under a single pane of glass, just like in the E- and S-Class models.

At launch, we'll get just one model called the CLS450 with rear- or all-wheel drive. It will be powered by Mercedes' new turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. Thanks to an electric motor, an electric supercharger, and a conventional turbo, it will make 383 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. Yes, that's a lot of torque. Still hate hybrids?

The CLS is chock full of safety tech, including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control. It can even use navigation data to automatically adjust the car's speed to safely handle bends, roundabouts, junctions, and toll booths.

Mercedes is being coy about fuel economy ratings and pricing, but details will become available closer to when the 2019 CLS hits showrooms in the fall of 2018.