The combination of 2 good things can give you better results, but sometimes it could result in something disastrous. And Mercedes-Benz has taken that risk to combine their most appreciated E-class and the C-class’s Coupe and Cabriolet versions and revealed in the form of one single car, which they call the CLE class, which is now the only single option between the C-class and the E-class sedan which is designed to provide you with the comfort, convenience and features of both the cars in the form of a coupe or a cabriolet.
Mercedes-Benz will offer 3 petrol and 1 diesel engine option with the CLE, where the 2.0L turbo petrol will be fitted in the CLE 200 with a power output of 201hp and 320Nm of peak torque with an option of rear-wheel-drive or 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, and in the CLE 300 with a power output of 254hp and 400Nm of peak torque with 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, then comes the CLE 450 with a 3.0L turbo straight-6 with a power output of 254hp and 400Nm of peak torque with 4Matic all-wheel-drive, and in terms of diesel, the CLE gets only one option the CLE 220d with a 2.0L turbo diesel with a power output of 197hp and 440Nm of peak torque with rear-wheel-drive only, all engines are paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz also has confirmed that there will be a plug-in hybrid version of the CLE in future.
In terms of looks, it is one of the best-looking modern Mercedes-Benz designs ever, the front of the CLE looks more like a C-Class but with sleeker-looking LED headlights and a redesigned sporty front bumper, it has a smooth side profile with wider rear-wheel arch, and the wheel sizes vary from 18″ to 20″, which also includes some classy multispoke wheel options, but the main change is on the rear end, which looks completely different from the C-class and the E-Class because the taillights has a new look which blend perfectly with the rear design and has a new rear bumper with a diffuser like treatment with twin-exhaust tailpipes, for giving it a sleeker yet muscular look from behind.
Moving to the interior, the 1st thing you will notice is that the CLE’s interior layout is identical to the C-Class interior because it gets a similar portrait MBUX touchscreen infotainment system, a similar 12.5″ driver display, has similar-looking AC vents and the steering is similar to what all the modern Mercedes-Benz cars get, the CLE also features a fingerprint sensor, which you also get in C-class, by touching it, the CLE will automatically set your desired seating and steering position with your favourite ambient lighting. The seats of the CLE look a bit familiar to the latest SL class, which are also available with an optional 7-step massage function.
We can expect Mercedes-Benz to launch the CLE cabriolet into the Indian market soon because the C300 cabriolet was discontinued from the Indian market last year. And currently, there is only one convertible under the 1 Crore rupee mark available in the Indian market, the BMW Z4, but that also gets close to 1 Crore while calculating its on-road pricing, so the CLE cabriolet could be the perfect fit because if it will arrive in Indian in the CLE 300 form, it is expected to cost around 65 Lakhs (ex-showroom).
