Words: Sayantan De | Photography: Saidatta Naik
The streamlining of the Mercedes-Benz line-up means that the C-Class coupé and the E-Class coupé both got the axe, to be replaced by this—the CLE Coupé (and the same holds true for the convertibles). We are getting the AMG version only, and this is just the second-ever worldwide appearance of the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six in AMG-fied edition in a two-door body style, and the first such occurrence in India. Compared to the fire-breathing V8 AMGs that we know and love, both in naturally aspirated and turbocharged form, does the CLE 53 AMG, with its straight-six, has what it takes to recreate the magic and the terror? We shall find out, or die trying.
We received the media unit on a cloudy, overcast day. However, it came painted in a shade of yellow that Mercedes-Benz has dubbed the ‘Sun Yellow,’ and it managed to brighten up the whole neighbourhood. People stopped to look at it, smiled at it, and the more exuberant of the passersby came for a selfie as it was waiting for the driver, a hunkered-down beast of a machine, full of purpose. The proportions of the coupé body are excellent, which hides the size of the machine really well in photos. This big bruiser of a yellow coupé makes the Panamericana grille seem subtle in comparison! The perfect proportions continue to the side, particularly the ratio of the length of the bonnet to the cabin, which feels like it is in accordance with the golden ratio. The wide haunches at the rear, coupled with an aggressive-looking rear diffuser and the small lip spoiler on the bootlid, complete the look. I would like to note my weakness for the modern AMG wheel design, intricate and many-spoked—I feel like if the iconic BBS RS were to be redesigned today, it would look similar to the ones on the CLE 53.
The interior is clad in vast swathes of Alcantara and carbon fibre, with a few brushed aluminium highlights dotted around the cockpit. Unfortunately, most of the controls are integrated into the MBUX infotainment screen measuring 11.9 inches. The driver’s display, like all modern cars from Stuttgart, is eminently configurable. I also prefer when these are two separate screens, unlike a certain other German manufacturer. The ambient lighting is fun to play with for a moment, but let’s be honest, people don’t buy this car for the ambient lighting or the MBUX system or even the safety features, of which there are many. So we move on to the raison d’être of this, and all cars from Affalterbach—the engine.
Unlike the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance that caused a global backlash when the 63 badges were affixed to a four-cylinder car (it was launched in India at a price of ₹1.95 crore ex-showroom last year), the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupé comes with a 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged, in-line, six-cylinder powerplant, which, aided by a mild hybrid system that, courtesy of an electric boost by the 48 volt system, generates 449 Pferdestärke—thoroughbred German horsepower, along with 560Nm. Funnily enough, despite having two extra cylinders, it is lighter than the aforementioned C ‘63,’ tipping the scales at 2,000kg. However, there is a disconnect between the engine and the 9-speed transmission—it doesn’t matter which gear you’re in, the engine has a very small rpm window where it is in peak power, and then it shifts up. While the upshifting can be stopped in manual mode, you still have a very narrow window to play with, which makes drifting it quite tricky as well, despite the presence of the aforementioned drift mode.
Where this car does shine is in its ride and handling characteristics. The steering is quite quick, though that changes based on the mode selected, but what really makes you question the size of this large-ish coupé is the 4-wheel steering. What 4-wheel steering does is make the effective wheelbase of the car shorter, thus endowing it with the kind of agility that’s simply unexpected in a big, luxurious coupé like this one here. The CLE 53 dives into turns enthusiastically and holds the line with nary a hint of understeer (as long as you’re in Sport mode or above). As the 4-wheel steering takes care of the agility, Mercedes has been able to tune the rest of the car for stability and comfort. The dampers offer exceptional suppleness for something like this, and the car tracks true at triple-digit lane change manoeuvres. Braking is also an area in which the CLE 53 is better than you expect it to be, and retardation is completely predictable, particularly at the entry to corners.
So, what to make of the CLE 53 Coupé? It is tremendously capable car, but it suffers a little from the middle child syndrome—it is not as compact as the C-Class coupé, nor as comfortable as the E-Class coupé; it is not as mental as the turbocharged fury of the AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder, which in the C 43 Sedan makes just 40PS less than the CLE 53, but doesn’t have the aural and tactile drama of the 4.0-litre V8, which sounds like the fury of the gods have been unleashed on the planet. Therefore, the question remains just what kind of dragon it is. Well, I feel it is a Komodo dragon, because it is quite intimidating, and despite its size, can move with incredible alacrity and display exceptional agility, belying its size. However, if your heart is set on a fire-breathing kind of dragon, you’d better wait for Mercedes-AMG to put the V8 into this. For the rest of those who are more open-minded, this is as much AMG as one might need or want, particularly at the kind of price (₹1.35 crore ex-showroom) it is sold at. Also, not having any direct rival means it is indeed the apex predator of its domain, and that’s all an AMG needs to be.
