Cruise along in this fabulous coupé
Mercedes-Benz is certainly no stranger to the two-door coupé, with some of its most celebrated models fitting the bill nicely. By Ben Selby.
However, today Mercedes-Benz have slimmed down its coupé range to what you see here, the new CLE, sitting firmly between the likes of the C-Class and E-Class saloons.
The new CLE is now the only traditional coupé in the Mercedes family, be it with two doors, four seats and a big boot. Rather than a coupé version of the C-Class saloon, it very much sits as its own entity in the range. It is a handsome thing too, with those textbook coupé lines flowing beautifully from end to end.
I particularly like the full width LED taillight cluster and the subtle lip spoiler at the rear. It doesn’t try to assert its presence brashly, instead serving up an elegant look. In fact, the only thing even slightly attention grabbing are the optional 20-inch AMG alloy wheels.
Inside it is equally classic, and the new 11.9-inch tilted infotainment system is a delight to use. Plus, you get all manner of kit including almost limitless levels of ambient lighting, a panoramic roof, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera, the latest generation MBUX voice interface system, augmented reality navigation with traffic light view cameras, heated seats, head-up-display, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, the list goes on. Being a traditional coupé, there is loads of space for the driver and front passenger, but the rear seats are best only used as extra storage or space for your West Highland terrier to enjoy the drive.
You can opt for the CLE 200 or CLE 300 4MATIC. The latter, featured here, gets the same 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine as the 200, but the 300 gets a power boost from 150kW/320Nm to 190kW/400Nm, plus 4MATIC all-wheel-drive to put that power to pavement via a 9-speed automatic transmission. There is also the addition of a 48-volt mild hybrid battery system to aid in extra torque and on-road efficiency, activating the stop/start function as you coast to the next set of lights.
The CLE 300 has a decent amount of poke. Selecting Sport via the Dynamic Drive Mode selector means you can fully exploit all those 190kW, which increase by 17kW when you apply the extra oomph from the battery. However, wringing its neck at every waking moment is counterproductive to what this car really excels at, the open road cruise.
The softness of the ride is lovely and while it doesn’t seem to enjoy hard charging around corners, the reduction in ride height by 15mm and the revamped sports suspension means it tracks well and true at a relatively brisk pace. Its also worth mentioning that at 100kph under light application of the go pedal, it’s almost electric quiet. The Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC is a delightful grand tourer with a splendid mix of toys, good looks, and driving enjoyment, one of which I could happily live with on a daily basis.
FACT FILE
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé
Price: $126,700
Engine: 2.0L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder
Transmission: 9-Speed Automatic
Power: 190kW
Torque: 400Nm
Combined Fuel Consumption: 7.4L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 169g/km
0-100kph: 6.2 seconds
Weight: 1838kg
Boot Space: 420L
