Instantly impressed doesn’t quite convey our first impressions of the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe. The outgoing curvy C-Class Coupe wasn’t exactly a mainstay on South African roads. Too tame and not special enough was a criticism regularly thrown at it. But that’s all changed with the new Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe – its replacement despite the new nameplate. A sort of portmanteau of C- and E-Class coupes, it shifts two-door desirability and elegance into a whole new realm. As we shall now explain …
You may have read recently that we drove the drop-top CLE 200 Cabriolet and were thoroughly impressed by how mechanically sound the four-seat convertible felt to drive. This encounter only got us more excited for the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe with a rigid hardtop and its, theoretically, more resolved drive.
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE 300 COUPE
Now sleeker and more design driven in its styling, the CLE Coupe is a vehicle that assails the heart more than any another two-door of recent years. Most prominent on the all-new coupe is the tapered A-pillar, drawing focus to the highly detailed front fender arrangement. Then there are the swept-back LED headlights, large lower airdam and long, shapely bonnet. Along with nicely styled 20-inch rims and painted on low-profile rubber, all these elements are completely unembellished from original concept drawings.
The all-important rear three quarter screams opulent coupe, too. And being an inbetweener of the C- and E-Class, it’s noticeably longer and wider in the metal than the C-Class of yore. Mercifully, the softened edges of the old car are a thing of the past. The rear end boasts a squat sportiness, but nothing over the top. Slitty windows and a svelte forward-angled stance give the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe proper sports-car presence on the road. This baby turns heads with the best of them.
WHAT ABOUT THE INSIDE?
The cabin experience is where this car really shines though. Slide down into the luxurious seat and you’re surrounded by leather and lacquered aluminium with a carbon-fibre motif, replete with customisable mood lighting. There are five exquisite backlit air vents that must be diamond cut they’re so intricate. Then there are the highly contoured seats that perfectly mould to your body with infinite adjustability and wonderful massage functions. You could conceivably buy the coupe purely for the comfort of these seats alone. Ahead of the driver is a vivid head-up display showing details of sat-nav and speed limits directly in your eye-line.
However, the real eye-catcher in the cockpit are the free-standing 12.3-inch fully digital driver instrument display and the 11.9-inch central MBUX infotainment screen. A thoroughly high-tech experience that somehow doesn’t interrupt the serene comfort of the surroundings you’re in. When a great song comes on, your sole concern is adjusting the Burmester High-End 3D sound balance to perfection. There’s ICE (in-car entertainment) and then there’s this … the kind that makes you sit in the driveway and just enjoy till the song ends.
SEMI-AUTONOMOUS TECH
In keeping with this effortless experience, we’re happy to report the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe basically drives itself, too. Latest-generation adaptive cruise control paces you perfectly with the car ahead. And active steering keeps you on the straight and narrow with the steering wheel nudging you this-way-and-that, as if it’s driven your daily commute a thousand times before.
Moreover, for a modern Mercedes-Benz, the coupe doesn’t ride too hard, erring instead on the comforting side of firm. When you do choose to hustle it along, however, it does show itself to be a slightly cumbersome vehicle. Mid corner grip through the 4Matic all-wheel drive is good but there is a hint of body roll and understeer. But that’s entirely justifiably given that this is not an out-and-out sports car in the AMG realm.
THE VERDICT
In all honesty, the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe is more about its show than go. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Even the drivetrain, the firm’s 2.0-litre turbo with EQ Boost, might as well be fully electric, that’s how silent it is. The hushed four cylinder makes 190 kW and 400 Nm of torque, with a 17 kW and 205 Nm boost when required. It’s a fine fit for this car. And the nine-speed automatic is similarly talented, shuffling through ratios imperceptibly as if by second nature. You won’t believe it, but we matched the claimed average fuel consumption of 7.6 l/100 km. It is an immensely economical vehicle. And there’s simply an intrinsic rightness to the new CLE Coupe – from its comforting drive, to its lounge-like interior and myriad assistance systems. To fully grasp its talents, you must spend a good chunk of time on the road with it. Only then will you see how beautifully it reconciles three mutually exclusive concepts: agility, efficiency and hi-tech luxury. Better still, you don’t need to break the bank (relatively speaking) for a two-door coupe that delivers this laudable sophistication.
THE FIGURES
- Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Coupe
- Price: R1 430 650
- Engine: 2.0-litre turbo petrol + EQ Boost
- Power: 190 kW (+ 17 kW) and 400 Nm (+ 205 Nm)
- Transmission: 9-speed auto, four-wheel drive
- Fuel Economy: 7.6 l/100 km (claimed/tested)
- Performance: 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds / top speed 250 km/h
IS THIS TWO-DOOR ON YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH-LIST FOR 2024?
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