► Current top-tier CLE 53 Coupe
► Straight-six, AWD, rear-wheel steer
► Looks as fast as it goes, and then some
There’s something to be said about buying the one down from the top – whether it’s a BMW 330i or Audi S6, the fastest car just below the halo model often offers a more alluring mix of performance and usability than the full-fat version.
Thing is though, with no official word on whether we’ll see a CLE 63, for now at least the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 is the top of the tree when it comes to performance, and comes with a set of suitably flared wheelarches to emphasise the point.
You’ll also likely be surprised and potentially pleased to hear that it’s not powered by a wicked-up four-pot that needs plugging in at the start and end of every journey – yes C63 S E-Performance, we’re looking at you here. The beating heart of the CLE 53 is a pure, old-fashioned six-cylinder petrol. Rejoice!
At a glance
Pros: Pace, looks, confident handling
Cons: Will there be a faster one or not?
What’s new?
Well, it’s not entirely old-fashioned, because it still features 48v mild-hybrid tech, which can provide an overboost of power and torque, as well as the ability to coast with the engine off while you’re slowing down.
It’s also eerily quiet on tickover, so much so that I began to worry the starter motor had given up when attempting to restart the engine after stopping to take some pictures. Turns out it was on the whole time, it just didn’t sound like it. A worrying start.
That’s because there’s a big problem this car needs to overcome. Previous range topping AMG C- and E-Class Coupes (cars the CLE is tasked with replacing) were distinguished by an ebullient V8 soundtrack. While the 53 isn’t a direct replacement for those, it’s hard to separate the new model from that heritage, especially if it doesn’t rumble and shake on start-up.
What are the specs?
To give it the full title, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe comes in Premium specification as standard, and all cars get 20-inch wheels, an AMG-tuned nine-speed automatic gearbox, and AMG Ride Control adaptive dampers.
Inside it’s largely C-Class, all screens and LED accent lighting, but with sportier seats and an AMG specific steering wheel. Night Edition Premium Plus cars get darker exterior trim, carbonfibre on the dash, and added niceties such as a Burmester stereo and head-up display.
You can also upgrade this spec with the Pro Performance Package (costing £7,500) giving you the AMG Dynamic Plus Package (Race drive programme, Race Start, Drift Mode, and AMG dynamic engine mounts), plus a lairier bodykit, figure hugging bucket seats, and a Performance steering wheel. Outside there’s a subtle bootlid spoiler and red-painted brake callipers.
How does it drive?
Well, it’s certainly not slow – the 3.0-litre six-pot under the bonnet is a heavily reworked M256 like you get in the CLE 450, but now features 442bhp and 442lb ft of torque, thanks to redesigned combustion chambers, new piston rings, a new large single turbocharger.
This is boosted by an electric compressor to help fill the torque gap at low revs and increases boost pressure from 1.1 to 1.5 bar, so you get all the flexibility of a twin-turbocharger set up, and all the power of one big one. The 0-62mph sprint drops half a second to 4.2 seconds, and the CLE 53 tops out at an electronically limited 155mph.
The nine-speed automatic gearbox has a specific AMG tune for shorter shifting times and better responses from the steering mounted paddles. These are noticeably larger than those in the standard coupe, more tactile to use, and deliver the type of punchy, urgent shifts that you want in a car like this.
Inside the cabin there’s plenty of engine noise in the sportier modes – it’s more evocative than the similarly powered CLE 450, with a pleasing (if not slightly synthetic) burble and bass at low to mid revs. I found it less muscular towards the redline though, and as a result it wasn’t as enjoyable hanging onto low gears on the windy mountain roads where I conducted this test.
Either way, it’s very smooth and gathers pace in a suitably confident way, pulling hard all the way through the rev counter’s sweep. As such it does run out of revs quicker than you might imagine, which required a bit of a shift in driving style, riding the wave of midrange torque and staying a gear higher than I initially thought necessary.
Our car had the optional Pro Performance Pack, so came equipped with all the handling enhancing capabilities mentioned earlier. All CLE 53s get 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, which enables huge levels of confidence-inspiring grip as standard.
Make your way through the AMG Driving Dynamics modes and you’ll find more torque sent to the rear wheels. This adds another dimension of adjustability – in fact the character of the car can be suitably shifted, through Basic, Advanced and Pro settings.
Power shifts rearwards as you make your way past ESP Sport mode, and the attitude of the car changes completely, feeling much more neutral and able to push itself out of a corner from the rear, rather than scrabbling from the front.
AMG Ride Control adaptive suspension is aimed at bringing a wider range of comfort and performance, and while we haven’t tested the CLE 53 in the UK yet, it’s fair to say that even in its slackest mode, the steel-sprung suspension is still stiffer than the standard CLE Coupe.
In Sport+ mode is it really very firm indeed, which matches well to the more direct responses from the engine and gearbox, but is probably best reserved for only the smoothest roads (or race circuits).
Dialled back a bit, I found the CLE 53 felt more agile with the suspension in the relatively pliant Sport mode. Here it was more able to soak up bumps mid-corner or under braking, and had a small amount of body roll, but not so much that it needed settling between bends.
Helping shrink the overall sensation of size, the rear-wheel steering is subtle in its delivery but hugely effective. Operating at an angle of up to 2.5 degrees, this helps the rear of the car follow the front in slow corners, and aids stability when moving quickly. About the nicest thing I could say about it is that I didn’t feel it working, just appreciated the fact it was.
Few modern cars offer much in the way of feedback through the steering wheel and the CLE 53 is no different – but the rack is at least linear with predictably weighted steering. The only negative point really is the brake pedal, which lacks a bit of the urgency you often want when driving quickly, even though there was plenty of power to be found when it was pushed harder.
What about the interior?
Mercedes says the CLE combines the best of the sporting character of the C-Class, with the prestige of the E-Class. In AMG guise the latter is turned up a notch, adding an extra special layer of extravagance, but there’s no escaping how distinctly C-Class the interior looks, with the 11.9-inch/12.3-inch display pairing.
The Pro Performance package cars I drove certainly seem a lot stealthier than the standard CLE Coupe or Cabriolet inside, largely thanks to the extensive use of dark carbon fibre and suede, and the optional seats this adds look absolutely superb.
They are quite hard when you first sit down but offer a huge amount of support when driving quickly. I think they’d be best suited to slimmer frames, however, and there’s no way to move the bolsters in or out like in a BMW.
The driver’s screen offers a couple of different display modes that you don’t get in the standard car, not least one with a huge gear shift display in the centre of it, which is curiously (and annoyingly) absent in the standard car.
I’m still a big fan of the customisable buttons on the wheel that can be set to adjust things like the exhaust sound or traction control. The only slight issue was getting use to the fact they are touch sensitive, and if you brush past one or jab it by mistake, you have to cycle through all of the functions to get back to the one you want.
Before you buy
As with all AMG cars if you buy a CLE 53 you get a free driving experience at Mercedes-Benz World, with a chance to send huge low-speed drifts on the wet skid circle and get expert guidance from a Driving Specialist on the handling circuit. I’ve actually taken part in one of these events and it was a lot of fun, even if it’s not a reason to buy the car by itself.
Verdict
It’s possible to spend almost £90,000 on a CLE 53, which is frankly a lot of money, for what always used to be the second tier of AMG performance. But even without knowing whether a CLE 63 is coming, or even what engine it’ll feature if it does, this car wouldn’t feel out of place as the range topper.
The cars it replaces were great big bruisers, hot rods really, while the CLE 53 manages to feel a bit sharper and more agile. And yet it does so while still offering the excitement of a (relatively) large and uncomplicated engine.
And while these things remain subjective, I think it looks absolutely superb, with a low and wide stance and clean lines from whichever angle you view it.
Will these opinion change if and when a CLE 63 Coupe comes along? Potentially, but it’ll depend heavily on what powers such a car. If it’s anything short of the CLE 53’s straight-six, there could be an awkward conversation to be had.
Specs below are for the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe AMG Night Edition Premium Plus Performance Pro package