Driving a car in the UK that’s already been tested abroad often presents an interesting conundrum. As cars become ever more complicated and time with them seemingly shorter, so it can be useful to swot up and not waste any precious minutes fumbling behind the wheel; on the other hand, you don’t want to arrive having pre-judged the car thanks to the stats and someone else’s opinion from thousands of miles away.
Look at just the spec of a £75k, 2,000kg, four-wheel drive, four-wheel steer CLE 53 that requires a £7,500 option for Drift Mode and there’s already an idea in your head, right? Remember V8s too fondly, as is sort of obligatory for AMG, and there’s another. But approach it with a fine recollection of the very recent (and non-AMG) four-cylinder CLE and a vague recall of the new 450hp straight-six brought to bear in the 53, and the mindset becomes more favourable.
Certainly the newcomer passes the showroom test. Or the social media clout check, depending on your age. When so many new Mercs come out looking just plain weird, the CLE pretty much nails the established AMG aesthetic: broad haunches, great wheels, suggestive ride height, a whole heap of menace and a healthy side of attitude as well. Sometimes the old ways can be best, and there remains something very arresting about a big black Benz two-door.
Perhaps the rear end still has some strange angles, though anyone who enjoys Hammers and the hulking C205 C63 will surely like this. Parked up, people are irresistibly drawn to it; on the road, people move out the way - it’s one of those. As with most modern Mercs, you’ll want to be familiar with its buttons and shortcuts to make the most of the cabin, yet it certainly feels solid and the AMG accoutrements - seat and wheel most notably - elevate the sense of occasion. Once you have the preferred layout, however, best stick with it, as the dials and HUD can still be a little fiddly.
What’s most notable about the CLE on the road is that it always feels like a proper performance product, not a car that needs a set mode or a gimmick to seem special. There’s tangible AMG expertise coursing through it. The brake pedal is firm and confidence-inspiring, with huge stopping power; the AMG Ride Control damping is borderline spectacular for a car this heavy, seemingly never flummoxed by any test and actually liveable in its most aggressive mode; and the four-wheel steer is very smartly integrated. The car always feels agile and direct (like it’s less than two tonnes) while never conveying any nervousness or seeming inauthentic. Even in the amount of time that a dealership test drive will take, it’s abundantly clear that this isn’t just a CLE with a big engine; it’s a noticeably keener, more rewarding drive in any scenario.
It is quite a nice big engine though, that’s for sure. Just occasionally you’ll crave a bit more oomph, and manual mode for the auto can be a tad hesitant, but overall this M256 is a really lovely straight-six. The mild hybridisation means lag is next to non-existent, the mid-range is bountiful, it’s keen enough to rev and the sound, if augmented, is more convincingly sonorous than in the E53. Left to its own devices, the nine-speed transmission is intelligent and fast, thumping through its short ratios in Sport Plus very convincingly. Allied to a chassis of such breadth, the engine and gearbox make for a very agreeable AMG in all sorts of scenarios: comfortable and commanding at a cruise (with a bit of tyre noise), fast and assured on an A-road, precise and accurate when it’s twistier. As the old C-Class AMGs often did, there’s a nice blend here of the intensity found in the smaller, ‘45 models alongside some big Benz manners.
Probably the 53 isn’t as sharp as the fully-fledged M cars that its spec and price neatly dissect. Maybe it doesn’t disguise its weight quite as uncannily, thrive near the redline as willingly, or punch from every bend so hard - but you won’t struggle for entertainment. As an early production model, this test car went without the Pro Performance Package that brings Race, Drift Mode and 168mph potential, although on this experience you’ll probably not need it.
With fat tyres filling out the rear arches, it isn’t one for easy oversteer out of low-speed turns, but around its limit with a bit more commitment the CLE demonstrates really nice balance - still never quite feeling two tonnes - and with a very smart split of power between front and rear. Where the E53 felt to muddy the AMG message somewhat, this would feel like an Affalterbach coupe with a blindfold on and earplugs in. It’s never less than taut, engaging, fast, comfortable, substantial and luxurious, just like so many of the old two doors we know and love.
It’s tangibly more serious than the old C43, that’s for sure. And, yes, maybe not as immediately charming as an old 4.0-litre V8, though pretty much exactly the same thing was said about that engine when it superseded the 6.2. And it’s not a direct replacement for the ‘63. It’s a very convincing straight-six AMG coupe, which feels a cause that’s very easy to support in 2024. And sure, you could secure a lesser tune of the same engine in the more affordable CLE 450, but there is enough about the experience, from the way the 53 looks to the way it turns and the way it’s damped, to make the premium worthwhile.
Let’s put it this way: it would be a very intriguing matchup with a BMW M2. Indeed the only real issue in offering a six-cylinder AMG of such quality is where it potentially leaves the C63 as an alternative. This offers damn near all the performance and panache a budding AMG customer could desire, for something like £25k less. Still, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and judge that book by its PHEV cover just yet. Sometimes, after all, ignorance is bliss.
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-AMG CLE 53 4MATIC+
Engine: 2,999cc six-cylinder, turbocharged hybrid
Transmission: nine-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 449@5,800rpm-6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 413@2,200rpm-5,000rpm (443 with overboost)
0-62mph: 4.2 seconds
Top speed: 155mph (168mph optional)
Weight: 2,080kg
MPG: 39.4
CO2: 220-212g/km
Price: from £73,075
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