It’s a public service when you drive this on the road. Spreading happiness amidst the gloom of all those grey cars. A bright yellow paint, 2-doors, and a coupe-roofline makes it a poser. It gets the full AMG treatment with the Panamericana grille, fancy alloys and an interior dripping with Carbon-Fiber. The quad-exhausts and the aerodynamic slits and cuts make it all the more dramatic. The rear-end is reminiscent of Kim Kardashian.
Enter the car, and it’s like stepping into a different universe. If you don’t say “wow” after getting inside the CLE 53, you’re not human. You might even mistake it for an E-class thanks to all the creature comforts. And when the Sun goes down, the interior jumps to life. The ambient lighting is the best in the business. A huge TV, umm, centre screen controls all the functions. The graphics are crisp and the UI doesn’t overwhelm you.
Enough flattery. We get it. She’s pretty. But is she “beauty with brains?” At the heart of it, the M256 inline-6 sits in the engine-bay. After 2 decades of Mercedes V6s, inline-6s have made a comeback thanks to its balanced layout and smooth power delivery. Assisted by a turbocharger and an electric compressor, the CLE 53 makes 440 hp and 560 nm of torque going to all 4 wheels. Which begs the question. How is it to drive?
And here comes the plot-twist. It is not the most engaging experience. The 4 MATIC+ and the rear-wheel steer hold your hand in every corner. And although that makes it agile and nimble, it’s the car which is doing the work, not you. You are left wanting for more theatre. The double-glazed windows isolate you from the symphony of the exhaust. And when you are absolutely ripping it, you start to feel those 2 tonnes.
All of this doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Flick it to Drift mode and this thing shreds its tyres for days. Or if you are a fan of traction, launch it. The graphics turn red, the seat-belts tighten up and the car shoots in the distance. The creamy-smooth inline-6 delivers and the rear-biased power delivery makes the world a better place. The precise steering means that you can place it in the corners.
The CLE 53 AMG hits the sweet spot between a rad twin-turbo V8 63 and a comfy E-class. It’s a monster when you want it to be and a relaxed cruiser the next moment. And this dual personality is what makes it worth the buy. That it’s not a victim of downsizing is just a bonus.
