Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe review – Six (cylinder) appeal

In case you find yourself lost in Mercedes’ vast universe of models, you aren’t alone. Case in point, the CLE – a nameplate that didn’t exist till 2023. To give a quick introduction, the CLE is a replacement for both the C-Class Coupé and Cabriolet and the E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet. India got the CLE Cabriolet last year in leisurely 300 guise, but the CLE Coupé that has just gone on sale is an altogether more serious tool. And that’s because it comes in AMG 53 guise.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe exterior design and engineering – 8/10

Flared wheel arches and 20-inch rims lend CLE 53 sporty stance

Before all else, let’s talk design and styling because the CLE 53 is a looker. It’s got a graceful coupe shape with AMG styling dialling up the visual drama. An AMG grille, exaggerated intakes, and even power bulges on the bonnet give the CLE its brooding face, one that’s backed by the muscle of flared wheel arches and tight-fitting 20-inch rims. 

Frameless doors add glamour to sleek coupe shape

Frameless doors add glamour to the flowing shape, which ends in a short decked tail section. We love the effect the lip spoiler, diffuser and quad exhaust have on the overall look. It’s a car that can pull off the bright and happy Sun Yellow paint shade, but Mercedes will only be happy to fulfil your request for something subtler. 

In size, the CLE is marginally longer and wider than a BMW 4 Series that’s sold in India in M4 form.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe interior space and comfort – 8/10

Easy access to the cabin

What makes the CLE 53 relatively easy to live with as performance cars go is that you don’t sit all that low. Getting into the car is easy, and visibility all around is also rather nice. You’ll love the view of the power bulges on the bonnet that serve as a constant reminder that you’re in something special. 

CLE 53 interior has much in common with the C-Class 

The interior that has much in common with the C-Class gets that point across as well. It’s a high-end space that uses contrast stitching and a metal-like finish for the dash panel to deliver a sporty vibe. The sport front seats also deliver on comfort. Speaking of which, I found the belt feeder that presents the seatbelt to you (it’s quite a reach back to the B-pillar otherwise) a rather polite feature.

Rear seat offers reasonable space and comfort for a coupe

Access to the back is decent for a coupe, and the rear seat, while cosy, is actually usable. I’m just under six feet tall and struggled with headroom, but anyone shorter than me would manage. Knee room, however, was sufficient even for me. 

The rear seats fold flat to free up luggage room, which is an option you might need to take up, given that a lot of the usable luggage area is taken up by the space saver spare. And that’s a shame because the CLE 53 is a car that’s actually quite happy to tour in.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe features and safety – 9/10

CLE 53 comes to India in a single, fully-loaded form  

What you see on the CLE 53 Coupe featured here is what you get. It’s sold in India in a single fully-loaded variant and packs in lots.  

Merc’s 12.3-inch touchscreen is the centrepiece of the interior and comes loaded with everything from wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the crisp 360-degree camera, and even an IWC stopwatch to telemetry and drag start screens. The touchscreen is super slick, but what’s nice is that you don’t have to rely on it for things you’d use in the heat of driving. You could program functions such as ESP settings and exhaust modes onto the rotary dial pods on the sporty AMG twin-spoke steering wheel.

The 11.9-inch digital dials are bright and vibrant, too, and best enjoyed with the AMG screen. Head-up display is on the expansive feature list as well, which also includes things like a punchy Burmester sound system, powered and ventilated front seats and a sizable sunroof. 

Safety suite includes ADAS and 8 airbags, including a centre airbag

Safety kit includes eight airbags (including a centre airbag between the front seats) and radar and camera-based ADAS. However, we’d keep automatic braking intervention off as the system doesn’t always respond aptly to Indian conditions.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe performance and refinement – 8/10

CLE 53’s 2999cc turbo-petrol engine makes a solid 450hp

Let’s talk numbers of interest. 450hp of power, a 0-100 kph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 270kph. These numbers are made possible by a 2999cc 6-cylinder engine. Yup, no downsized and overworked 4 cylinder unit here (looking at you C 63 and C 43). This is a proper sports car with a proper sports car heart.

The engine uses a twin-scroll turbocharger that’s complemented by an electric compressor. The electric compressor feeds the engine at lower revs, and then the turbocharger kicks in. The net effect is no turbo lag. What you get instead is very ready access to power and an engine that feels lovely and long-legged, from 1500rpm to 6500rpm.

It’s a free engine and you’d love using and intervening with gear shifts via these paddle shifters. The 9-speed automatic transmission does its job perfectly well, but the paddles bring in a new level of connect with your car. And on quick downshifts, they’ll also grant you a few pops and bangs. 

Quad exhausts deliver a nice snarl, but it could be louder 

When you’re driving fast, you’ll also find that this engine emotes rather well through those quad exhaust pipes at the back. It’ll let out this lovely snarl when you’re driving hard, and you can increase the decibel levels by pressing down on the loud exhaust mode. The thing is, it still doesn’t get as loud as you’d want it to, and it never sounds like the bad boy of the neighbourhood. And that could be a negative for some sports car buyers. 

It’s worth bringing in here that the CLE 53 isn’t a top-tier AMG, the ones built to the hallowed one-man-one-engine philosophy. That space is reserved for the CLE 63, which will debut later this year with a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. 

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe mileage – 6/10

It’s a mild hybrid, alright, but efficiency isn’t its forte

The AMG CLE 53 isn’t about economy and will run through a tank of 100 octane petrol rather quickly over a day of hard driving. In sedate city driving, you can expect the CLE 53 to deliver about 5-6kpl.   

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe ride comfort and handling – 8/10

4MATIC system switches between all-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive in real-time

The CLE 53 is a fast car, but one that won’t overwhelm you. Standard fit all-wheel drive really helps make the most of the power at hand. The CLE 53’s 4MATIC system keeps switching between all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive in real-time, reading the conditions and allocating the power as it deems fit. You can’t feel this switch, but it’s nice to know that your car has your back and will keep you pointed in the right direction when the conditions go against you. 450hp is not a small figure, particularly on a wet road.

The cool thing? The AWD system delivered enough grip even on a damp road to match the claimed 4.2-second 0-100kph claimed acceleration time. Of course, when conditions (and your skill level) permit, there’s also a Drift Mode, which has the CLE run exclusively in exciting rear-wheel drive form.

Smooth steering and keen turn-in make it fun in the corners

It’s on twisty driving roads that another facet of the CLE 53 comes through, and that is that it’s not a hardcore sports car. The steering, for instance, is not super sensitive even at its sportiest setting. As a result, the car isn’t super pointy, and that’s actually no bad thing because it doesn’t feel edgy, allowing you to drive without the need for super concentration and super awareness at all times. 

The CLE 53 stitches the corners with grace and does it with the agility of a smaller car. Helping to this end is rear axle steer. Under 100kph, the rear wheels will turn in the opposite direction as the ones up front (up to 2.5 degrees) to enhance agility. Above 100 kph, the wheels will turn in the same direction as the front ones (up to 0.7 degrees) for added stability. You won’t feel the rear wheels really turning, but you can feel the impact that this motion has when you’re on the go.

Ride comfort is decent, and there’s fair ground clearance, too

The CLE 53 is a fun car, alright, but that’s not the start and end of it. The overriding theme is that this is a sports car with AMG in its name, but it doesn’t forget that it’s also a Mercedes. You feel that in ride comfort. It’s not jarring at any point, and in Comfort mode, ride quality is actually pretty nice even on these 20-inch rims. Sure, you do feel more of the surface when you move to Sport and Sport Plus, but this is a car that you could use every day without breaking your back. 

There’s enough ground clearance, too, to clear average-sized speedbrakers without the need to zigzag over them. 

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe price and verdict – 8/10

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 is priced at Rs 1.35 crore (ex-showroom)

The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 is about some big numbers, and I’ll end with another one. And that’s the price – Rs 1.35 crore ex-showroom. 

BMW M4 is a more performance-focused alternative 

Thing is, there’s nothing quite like a CLE 53 at the moment. The closest coupe alternative in India is a BMW M4, but it’s not only pricier, but generally a more hardcore and committed choice. 

The CLE 53’s forte is delivering AMG thrills with everyday Mercedes comfort, packaged in an eye-catching coupe form. It’s a relatively easy performance car to live with, which means you’ll find more occasions to drive it. And that is the point, isn’t it?

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