The order books of the car manufacturers are still full and the money is flowing into the coffers. But the automotive paradise does not last forever. Especially when it comes to vehicles with combustion engines. The brand strategists at Mercedes also know this. That’s why they scour the model range with extremely sharp red pencil. Everything that doesn’t promise a full profit is thrown out. What could be more obvious in this mixed situation than to make one out of two models. So the Swabian Cleverles in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim made two into one and replaced the C-Class and E-Class coupé with the Mercedes CLE, which will be in dealerships at the end of the year.
Anyway. They still exist, the dynamic cars with the star. So it’s not all about SUVs and the electric armada. “With the new dream car series, Mercedes-Benz is fulfilling the wishes of many customers in the C and E class segments,” says the press kit. Even if the word acrobats are laying it on a bit thick, we are happy about the newcomer. Especially since there will also be a convertible from the CLE. So it’s fitting that the CLE is based on the MRA-2 platform (Modular Rear Architecture), the basic structure of the C and E-Class. Anyone expecting something in between the two segments can sit back and relax. With a length of 4.85 meters, the CLE is 1.5 centimeters longer than the E-Class Coupé. Compared to the C-Class two-door it is even 16.4 centimeters more.
The interior with the free-standing 12.3-inch digital instrument display and the 11.9-inch vertical central display, which tilts six degrees towards the driver in the coupé but can only be swiveled in the convertible, basically corresponds to that of the E- Class. The MBUX of the latest generation also fits in with this. Therefore, the CLE owners can also enjoy the helpful routines, such as activating the seat heating at a certain temperature.
Especially compared to its smaller predecessor, the CLE has more interior space. The rear passengers in particular benefit from ten millimeters more headroom, 19 millimeters more for shoulders and elbows and 72 millimeters more for the knees. The wheelbase of 2.84 meters also helps. An easy-entry function, in which the front seats give access to the second row, is mandatory for a two-door car. With the CLE, this function is not triggered by its ugly hard plastic lever, but by a leather loop. So that it does not wear out quickly and becomes unsightly, it is made of nappa leather. With a volume of 420 liters, the famous three golf bags fit into the trunk. The fact that the CLE is not too bulky despite these stately dimensions is thanks to the track width, which is identical to that of the E-Class Coupé.
In addition, the body of the CLE flies 15 millimeters lower over the asphalt than the sedans of the two C and E class series. In order to meet all customer requirements, the CLE is equipped with a comfort chassis as standard. As an alternative, Mercedes offers a stiffer sports suspension with a selective damping system. If you choose the technology package, you get adaptive dampers, more direct steering and rear-axle steering, which turns the wheels at a maximum of 2.5 degrees, which reduces the turning circle by 50 centimeters.
The range of engines is limited to the essentials, with each unit receiving the ISG mild hybrid module with an output of 17 kW / 23 hp and 200 Newton meters of torque. The four-cylinder diesel in the CLE 220 d Coupé (only available with rear-wheel drive) delivers 147 kW / 195 hp without e-boost, in the petrol engines with four pots it is 150 kW / 204 hp in the CLE 200 (optional with all-wheel drive) and in the CLE 300 (also optionally with all-wheel drive) 190 kW / 258 hp. The provisional top model, the CLE 450 4Matic, has the in-line six-cylinder (engine code M 256 M) with a displacement of three liters and 280 kW / 381 hp. Nowadays, of course, we cannot do without electromobility entirely. The Mercedes technicians are currently developing a plug-in hybrid module for the CLE. An AMG version with even more power is of course possible and even if the Mercedes managers are still clueless, of course more than likely. Mercedes is still silent on the price. It should be between that of the C and E class coupés. We assume that the price is more based on that of the E-Class. It is currently 60,083.10 euros. So it should come down to around 58,000. The convertible will of course be more expensive.
