Mercedes-Benz CLE fits the bill as a three-pointed star coupé

Manufactures streamlining their product range, although nothing new, has, in recent years, been on the increase as a result of not only market and product demand, but also reducing unnecessary research and development costs.

Range on a diet

Along with fellow German brands Volkswagen and BMW, Mercedes-Benz has been not been immune from a line-up reduction as it announced plans at the beginning of 2023 to cut its model count from 33 to 14.

So far, casualties have included the CLS and, most controversially, the coupé and cabriolet versions of the C-Class and E-Class.

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What’s more, the all-electric EQ brand will be phased-out next year – a move already set into motion by the next generation EV-only platform shelved and the electric G-Class being called the G580 by EQ Technology and not the concept denoting EQG.

In addition, a report from Germany in September alleged that the coupé versions of the GLC and GLE are also facing the axe, while the hatch and Shooting Brake versions of the next generation A-Class have not been confirmed as of yet.

From two to one

Central to the Benz’s streamlining is the CLE, which doubles as a type of hybrid replacing both the soft-top and two-door versions of the now discontinued C-Class and E-Class.

Based on the same MRA2 platform as the current W206 C-Class, the CLE is more aligned towards the E-Class in overall dimensions, with Mercedes-Benz billing it, in coupé form, as four-seater.

On the drawing board since 2020, the CLE officially made its debut on local soil earlier this year with the cabriolet completing the range in mid-November.

Exclusively motivated by four-cylinder engines as the six-cylinder CLE 450 didn’t receive market approval – the same applying to the V8-engine AMG CLE 63 – the premiere of the drop-top predated the arrival of the coupé in flagship CLE 300 AMG Line guise for the weeklong stay.

How a Mercedes-Benz should look

Finished in Benz’s take on Audi’s Nardo Grey called Alpine Grey that forms part of the Manufaktur range of custom colours priced at a heady R53 000, the test unit also sported the optional Night Package priced at R17 100, and the silver 20-inch AMG light split-spoke alloys available for an additional R17 000.

Along with the expanded AMG door sills and bumpers as part of the AMG Line exterior, the CLE keeps an element of sportiness, but without going overboard and thereby remaining an elegant and purposefully-styled coupé as any two-door Mercedes-Benz should be.

Although still resplendent with styling from the E-Class Coupé when viewed from the rear, subtle revisions to the light arrangement, including a blacked-out central bar, a more slanted window and sloping roof that tapers lower, the CLE remains an aesthetic triumph its sedan stablemates simply cannot rival.

Inviting but not perfect

Understandably heavier than on a C-Class, the pillarless doors open to reveal an interior that provides the biggest hint of which model the CLE shares its foundation with.

Unmistakenly C-Class, the overall design is near identical as apart from the dashboard and centrally mounted trio of air vents, the CLE carries over the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the 11.9-inch MBUX infotainment system on the centre console.

While the latter continues to garner praise for its ease of use despite appearing complicated at first glance, the inherent problems first noticed on the C-Class prevail.

Central to this is the finicky touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel and the most disappointing, varying degrees of material fit-and-finish – the most prominent being the metal effect brushed aluminium finish (R3 500) on the centre console that only felt cheap, but emitted creak and crack noises throughout most of the seven days.

At the same time, the lowered roofline lends to headroom being at a premium, while space at the rear, equally not a surprise given the CLE being a coupé, is tight with little in the way of headroom and only marginally more legroom.

More impressive is boot space that comes to a capacious 420-litres despite appearing bigger at first glance.

Sitting 15 mm closer to the ground than the C-Class, the standard electric, heated and cooled leather seats are snug and comfortable, which contrasts with the cocoon-like sensation of the lowered roof.

Aided by the finicky but also grippy steering wheel and the infotainment display somehow falling easer to hand than in the C-Class, the CLE rates as a sportier and more inviting place to be, with the emphasis on wanting to drive without stopping.

Making do with ‘four power’

It, therefore, comes as a shame that the local market has been denied the turbocharged inline-six powering the CLE 450 as the CLE would have been in its element in classic Mercedes-Benz fashion had it been availed.

Instead, the CLE 300 uses the familiar 2.0-litre turbo-petrol that produces 190kW/400Nm, with an additional 17kW/200Nm available for short burst thanks to the 48-volt mild-hybrid EQ Boost system.

Acceptable on paper, the blown four-pot, while without the charm or soundtrack of a six-cylinder, doesn’t hold back as the initial bout of lag is negated by a strong pull that shrugs the CLE’s portly 1 780 kg kerb mass off with ease.

Settling down

Unlike the lesser CLE 200, the CLE 300 comes standard with the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

Another aspect capable of blunting driveability given its added weight, the all-paw system grips with immediacy and results in a composed feel that only aids the CLE’s grand tourer credentials.

Although an improvement from before, the 9G Tronic automatic gearbox still lends itself to being hesitant low-down as a likely result of the turbo still taking its time to wake-up.

Once at speed though, its shifts smoothly and without much need to revert to manual mode or the clinking paddle shifters.

That being said, sticking the Dynamic Select system into Dynamic mode and using the alloy-like paddles did offer a bit more engagement to go with improved throttle response and a heavier but also feedback-enhanced steering.

Set to Comfort mode throughout most of the week, the CLE’s mass did become apparent in everyday use, as did its change in ride from absorbing and supple, to firm and bumpy on uneven surfaces.

Given the adaptive suspension plus the supportive seats though, its prowess as a long distance cruiser, on smooth tar that is, leaves little to be desired as refinement proved excellent with little wind or road noise filtering into the cabin.

At the same time, the disappointment of not having a six-cylinder come with the benefit of a two-figure fuel consumption readout.

Compared to Benz’s 7.4 L/100 km claim, the 600 km and seven days with the CLE netted an indicated best of a still more than acceptable 8.7 L/100 km.

Conclusion

The “one-size-fits-all” notion is often a hit-and-a-miss and although staunch Mercedes-Benz purists might bemoan the CLE, its approach to the former has largely been a success.

At R1 443 076, sans the eye-watering R358 000 options fitted to our tester, the CLE 300 AMG Line 4Matic is by no means cheap and remains hobbled by patchy fit-and-finish inside and a lack of space that questions whether the rear seats should have been included in the first place.

Despite these shortcomings, plus the want for more power, it still remains a proper Mercedes-Benz coupé with enough desirability to warrant the signatures for those who nothing but the three-pointed star will do.

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