2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe Aims to Dominate a Shrinking Segment

It's not every day Mercedes-Benz launches a brand-new car. The 2024 CLE-Class is a never-before-seen model aimed at replacing the C-Class coupe and E-Class coupe in the ever-shrinking luxury midsize segment. And it looks lovely.

At 191 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 56.2 inches tall, the CLE Coupe is far closer in size to the outgoing E-Class coupe than the C-Class coupe. But it's a spiritual successor to both cars, a clear effort by Mercedes-Benz to cut down on the sheer number of vehicles in its lineup. Its front fascia, interestingly, seems to share more with the cheaper CLA-Class than either the C- or E-Class sedans, with more pointed headlights and pronounced grille areas. The connected rear taillight bar reminds us of the company's all-electric EQ offerings, though thankfully, the CLE still has a traditional car-like shape, rather than something resembling an egg.

The 2024 Mercedes CLE Coupe gets a cockpit similar to the design found in the SL roadster, with a sporty steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a portrait-style 11.9-inch central touchscreen with the latest version of the company's MBUX infotainment system. There's a 64-color ambient lighting system and standard Burnmester surround sound with Dolby Atmos, which includes two speakers implanted into each front seat.

The CLE Coupe gets two trims for America: The CLE 300 4Matic and the CLE 450 4Matic. The 300 comes complete with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four making 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the 450 gets a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six making 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Both cars get 48-volt hybrid assistance courtesy of an integrated starter generator (ISG) sandwiched between the motor and the nine-speed automatic gearbox adding an extra 23 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque at low engine speeds. Both cars get all-wheel-drive as standard, and come with an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph.

Though the CLE is very much tuned for comfort, Mercedes has made some changes over the E-Class sedan to ensure a noticeable difference in performance. The car sits 0.6 inches lower, and there's an available sport suspension option for the CLE 450 4Matic that adds stiffer springs and dampers, along with a more sporty steering setup.

Pricing for the CLE Coupe has yet to be released, but Mercedes-Benz says the car will begin to arrive at U.S. dealerships starting in early 2024. A convertible version will follow shortly after for those who crave the open-top driving experience.

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