Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé and Cabriolet review

Merc's amalgamated mid-sized coupé and convertible put richness and refinement ahead of any dynamic cutting edge Picturing a mid-sized Mercedes luxury coupé like the new Mercedes CLE may not feel like an especially modern thing to do, but I’m sure you can come up with plenty of options. A bluff but lovely 1980s C123, perhaps; a marginally curvier 1990s C124; or even a CLK Kompressor, so popular in the early 2000s.Over the decades, Sindelfingen has spoilt us for choice with these extra-desirable two-door grand tourers. And yet rather sadly, it can no longer afford to. A consolidation process of Mercedes’ internal combustion offerings has been creeping quietly forth for a while now, as it finds the research and development cash it needs for its electrified models by cutting others. This robbed us of a replacement for the pretty S-Class Coupé as long ago as 2020, and it has now cut the firm’s smaller coupé and cabriolet count by half, as instead of individual replacements for the C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe two-doors, we get this new CLE.Based on the same platform as the latest Mercedes C-Class and Mercedes E-Class saloons and estates, it is intended to answer the desire of owners of the old C-Class Coupé for a more spacious cabin and that of owners of the old E-Class Coupé for a slightly sportier and more engaging drive.