Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53

The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 is the newest member of the German carmaker’s performance-focused AMG family. Its nomenclature alone hints at its identity, i.e., a coupe that sits between the well-known C-Class and the stately E-Class. 

It boasts of being a long, two-door AMG with all the supposed elements it is meant to have, but this time, with a flowing coupe head giving it a true sporty flair. Just as it served its looks hot in the Sun Yellow shade, I walked around this new performance beast to check out everything special about it.

Design and Build Quality

The AMG CLE 53 Coupe looks every bit as sporty as an AMG should. When you pull the door open, it feels heavy and as solid when it thuds. The frameless window gives it a stylish character.

The working hood scoop, the front air intakes as well as forked air intakes on either fenders, the Panamericana grille, along with an AMG badging and a gloss black bumper make its face look mean and aggressive.

From the side, you can see how long this car is. At a little under 5 metres and that stretched coupe roofline, it looks quite a big machine at close proximity. 

The 20-inch black alloy wheels have aggressive spokes complemented with red brake callipers.

The rear end is as impressive, with wrap-around LED taillights connected by a gloss black panel, a small boot lip spoiler, and quad round exhausts housed under a black diffuser. The build feels sturdy and tightly put together, so to say elegant and tough, just as you’d expect from a luxury AMG.

In this Sun Yellow paint, it makes you turn around for that one final look even after you've parked. The other five included colour options are:

• Obsidian Black

• Patagonia Red Metallic

• Spectral Blue

• Opalite White

• Alpine Grey

You can also have it in two more hues: Graphite Grey and Spectral Blue Magno by paying extra for them.

Design and Build Quality

Step inside the AMG CLE 53, and the cabin looks familiar, in keeping with its AMG identity. The dashboard layout is reminiscent of other AMGs like the CLE Cabriolet or GT 63, with the large central screen slightly tilted towards the driver to keep everything within easy reach. The flat-bottom 3-spoke AMG steering wheel has a mix of matte and shine, and there are turbine-like AC vents – three at the centre and two on either edge.

The build quality is solid throughout. The mix of Alcantara leather and soft-touch materials gives it a plush and premium feel. Overall, the cabin looks both luxurious and focused on spirited driving.

Seats

The CLE 53 comes with sporty bucket seats that hold you firmly in place during hard cornering. The cushioning feels a bit on the firmer side, which is a good sign for your posture. The all-black seats get red stitching for a sporty look. Both front seats offer electric adjustment with memory functions, so you can save your preferred driving position and return to it instantly. They also feature ventilation and heating.

The driving position is low and sporty, while the rear seat space is actually impressive for a sports car. The ingress and egress can be the hard part, but once you’re in, you have generous legroom and headroom, even if you’re 5’9 like me. Anyone much taller might feel the roof a little too close. Nevertheless, the rear seats are pretty usable for short runs.

Storage and Practicality

As with most AMGs, you might not be concerned a lot about this aspect while considering the CLE 53, but it covers the essentials well. In the front centre armrest, you get a pair of cupholders, an additional storage bin with a sliding cover, alongside a decently sized glovebox. The door pockets can store a medium bottle and a few small items, while the rear seats fold in a 60:40 split to expand the boot space for longer items.

Charging Option

The CLE 53 makes it easy to keep devices powered on the go. There’s a wireless charging pad in the centre console, positioned so the phone stays secure even during hard manoeuvres. 

For wired connections, you get both USB Type-A and Type-C ports up front, while rear passengers also have access to USB-C ports. These can handle media connectivity as well.

Features

The centre highlight is the 11.9-inch portrait-style touchscreen, angled slightly towards the driver for easier access. The latest MBUX system, with crisp graphics and smooth touch response, is intuitive and easy to live with. I didn’t have much trouble surfing through various functions. There’s also a 12.3-inch fully digital driver display, which offers multiple AMG-specific layouts.

Adding to the experience is the 17-speaker Burmester 3D surround sound system with Dolby Atmos support. You also get a head-up display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, ambient lighting, keyless entry, and a panoramic sunroof with voice control. 

AMG steering wheel buttons provide quick access to drive modes and performance functions without taking your hands off the wheel. 

While driving has been made easy with its AR-based navigation system, comfort has also been well taken care of by dual-zone climate control.

As for safety, the Mercedes AMG CLE 53 has as many as eight airbags and other equipment like a 360-degree camera system, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) features like active brake assist, active park assist, blind spot monitoring system and more.

The boot is fairly usable for a coupe, offering enough room for a weekend trip's luggage or a generous haul of shopping. There is a side-mounted luggage net that keeps smaller items secure, and a collapsible crate under the boot floor adds extra flexibility. Talk about convenience, you can open the boot lid hands-free with a simple kick gesture under the rear bumper.

What powers the AMG CLE 53 is a 3-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine. This unit comes mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission, sending power to all four wheels via something that Mercedes-AMG calls its fully variable 4MATIC+ system.

This setup is claimed to deliver strong acceleration, with a 0-100 kmph time of well under five seconds. The rear-axle steering is standard, aiming to make the car more agile at low speeds and more stable at high speeds. 

You get multi-drive modes ranging from Comfort to Race, altering throttle response, suspension settings, and shift patterns to suit your different driving needs.

The exhaust system is interestingly paired with adjustable sound profiles, from a balanced tone to a more pronounced, powerful mode, which can be controlled from the infotainment settings.