In Stuttgart, people are busy implementing a slightly more streamlined policy after the model proliferation of the past ten or fifteen years. Mercedes has decided that it is not so convenient if one half of the range drives the other half, and so some model lines are more or less merged. Case in point: this Mercedes CLE 200, which replaces both the C-class Coupé and the E-class Coupé. At least, that's what Mercedes says. The fact that it is the same size as the two-door E, and also almost as pricey, is an insignificant detail.
An earlier one Top Geartest of the CLE 300 concluded that this car does not really achieve anything remarkable. Your editor on duty should exchange some words with that colleague, because the mere fact that the CLE exists is actually remarkable. Mercedes could easily say: leave those coupes alone, we are going to build some more SUVs. They don't do that, and that makes us happy.
The CLE doesn't need much to look nice
There is a beautiful silhouette with wide hips, a striking front and a good fit stance. The CLE does not have to enforce its presence on the road with spoilers and carbon – it is already a powerful design in the basics. Some may not find the rear very elegant, but the only problem we have with it are those horrible fake exhausts.
This 200 only hides one pipe behind the bumper on the left, so the plume that puffs out from under it in this cold weather makes your chic 85 grand car suddenly look pretty lame with its double chrome studs. Come on Mercedes, ask for a hundred or so more and install two real tailpipes.
The Mercedes CLE 200 is not a flashy car
The engine of the CLE 200, a 2.0 four-cylinder with 204 hp, is not one that initially stands out for finesse. When you start it in the morning, it's a bit noisy – not the kind of running culture that gives you a warm, premium feeling. However, when you start driving, it does everything you could want from a car in mode: it is alert, quiet at pace, usably fast and the nine-speed automatic transmission does its work smoothly and flawlessly.
Mercedes once had a hard time with basic motorization, but the CLE did not get that memo. If you want more, there will soon be plenty of options: in addition to the aforementioned 300, there are also six-cylinders and fast plug-in hybrids in the pipeline.
The inside of the CLE is a delight, with comfortable seats and a beautifully designed dashboard that is bathed in tasteful/inappropriate ambient lighting (delete what you don't like). Many stumble over the strange swipe buttons on the steering wheel, but you hardly need them; prefer to use the excellent voice control or the slickly designed, responsive touchscreen.
A rule here, a rule there – Mercedes will solve that
Mercedes apparently hates the new EU rule that states that an alarm must go off if you drive 1 km/h too fast as much as we do: they do not have the 'button' to switch this off deep in a menu buried, like many manufacturers, but permanently placed in the top left corner of the screen. This alone is a completely legitimate reason to choose this car over a competitor, and you're not going to convince us otherwise.
These and other features – a light that comes on when you want to grab your bag from the footwell on the passenger side, a camera image of the red traffic light on your screen so that you don't have to put your head through the steering wheel – make the Mercedes CLE 200 a very pleasant car to live with. And it also drives pleasantly, although it clearly seeks (and does not always find) a balance between the extremes.
This Merceds is a cruiser
Our copy has the standard, somewhat stiff sports suspension; you can also order a 'technique package' with adjustable dampers. Although you also get rear-wheel steering, and the CLE now responds so directly to your input that you may sometimes turn off a street too early. Despite this, it is more of a highway machine than a cornering knight: there it relaxes and takes you to your destination perfectly equipped.
Mercedes deserves kudos for not simply throwing the coupe in the trash and once again treating us to a handsome two-door. So encourage them: buy a coupe, not an SUV, and send your kids on public transport.
Specifications of the Mercedes CLE 200 AMG Line (2023)
Engine capacity
1,999cc
Engine type
Four-cylinder turbo
Power
204 + 23 hp/150 + 17 kW, 320 Nm
Drive
Rear wheels
9v automatic
Acceleration
0-100 km/h in 7.4 s
Top speed
240 km/h
Consumption
6.5 l/100 km
Co2 emissions
147 g/km
Tank capacity
66 l (petrol)
Dimensions
4,850 x 1,861 x 1,423 mm (lxwxh)
Wheelbase
2,865mm
Weight
1,790 kg
Luggage
420 l
Price
€71,277 (NL)
€64,130 (B)
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