Skip to main content

The new Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe is here — and it’s stunning

Iconic and packed with new features, the 2024 CLE Coupe is an instant classic

2024 MB CLE Coupe
Mercedes-Benz

Sometimes less is more. In an automotive world full of fine-tuned, niche-market choices, you can get anything from a hyper-exotic Ferrari, to a truck that looks and drives like a car, to a car that looks and drives like a truck and back again. As the savvy premium carmaker they always have been, Mercedes-Benz has realized this and has decided to eliminate both the C- and E-Class Coupes and instead bring us the brand new and stunning 2024 CLE Coupe.

Mercedes-Benz 2024 CLE coupe
Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz says the CLE Coupe is “shaped by desire”

While some may fret that their beloved C-Class or E-Class Coupe will be no more, one look at the CLE Coupe, and those fears will abate rapidly. Designed with what Mercedes-Benz calls its Sensual Purity philosophy, the 2024 CLE elicits a visceral reaction from onlookers. Smooth yet powerful, the long-hoot/short-deck blueprint has worked for Mercedes-Benz, and plenty of other automakers, harking all the way back to the 300SL Gullwing of the ’50s. The CLE’s “shark nose” front end sports a 3-D radiator grill bookended by wraparound LED headlamps set high on the hood. Smooth yet muscular lines flow seamlessly to the sculpted, but not overdone rear end.

With its overall length of 191 inches, the CLE is almost seven inches longer than the C-Class Coupe and just over half an inch wider than the E-Class. At 73.2 inches wide, the CLE is precisely the same width as the E-Class it replaces and a full two inches wider than the C-Class. At 56.2 inches high, the CLE is almost a full inch taller than the C and about a tenth of an inch shorter than the E. Even the CLE’s wheelbase of 112.8 inches sits about an inch longer than the C, and a third of an inch less than the E, showing that the CLE is almost the perfect compromise between the two outgoing models.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE interior view
Mercedes-Benz

The new CLE Coupe offers equal parts comfort and style

Inside, the 2024 CLE Coupe offers to take the driver wherever they need to go in style, while offering an aesthetic that’s designed for the future. The high-end premium interior is highlighted by a large 12.3-inch configurable digital display as well as a centrally-mounted 11.9-inch digital infotainment touchscreen featuring the latest generation of MBUX that uses 5G data transmission for instant updates and downloads.

The interior continues to impress with new sports seats, designed specifically for the CLE, that feature heat and ventilation and a four-way lumbar support standard. A 17-speaker Burmester 3D stereo system works in conjunction with any one of 64 colors to create the perfect ambient mood both from an audio and visual standpoint.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe in blue
Mercedes-Benz

The 2024 CLE Coupe offers two powerful engine options

The CLE will be initially offered with two engine options, both as mild-hybrids. The CLE 300 4MATIC is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque on its own and then, when combined with its electric motor, adds an additional 23 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque.

The more powerful CLE 450 4MATIC gets a larger 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 that makes an impressive 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque on its own, while the electric motor kicks in the same 23 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque as with the CLE 300. No official acceleration numbers are available (as of this writing), but MB says the CLE’s top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph.

2024 MB CLE Coupe interior view
Mercedes-Benz

The only thing the new CLE Coupe needs is a driver

While the official price has yet to be released for the 2024 CLE Coupe, given how the car is the perfect midpoint between the current C-Class and E-Class Coupes, we can reasonably expect the CLE’s base price to fall somewhere between the $49,550 base price for the C-Class Coupe and the $69,750 base price for the E-Class Coupe. Whatever the cost, the true reward future owners get is never having to choose between two great Mercedes-Benz cars again, and instead, with less choice, they can now get the best of both worlds (at least until the CLE Convertible comes along).

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lou Ruggieri
A lifelong lover of cars, Lou contributes to Motor Trend, Hot Cars, Auto & Truck Connection, and the PowerAutoMedia Group.
All new MINI Cooper Electric arrives with 3 doors, go-kart charisma, and 250-mile range
There's a new digital assistant inside, too
2024 MINI Cooper Electric

The all-electric MINI Cooper is one of the most affordable EVs on the market. It's also fun to drive, mainly because it handles like a go-kart. But what makes it even more appealing is that it's cheaper to maintain than the gas-powered MINI Cooper. It ticks all the important boxes of price, reliability, and fun to drive.

BMW hasn't updated its motor and battery since it was launched three years ago, but that will change with the upcoming MINI Cooper Electric that was teased back in May. It has finally been unveiled alongside the MINI Cooper Countryman after much anticipation. What's new about it?

Read more
We now know what a fully electric Lamborghini looks like, and it’s pretty incredible
Lambo's upcoming EV makes you feel like a pilot
The Lamborghini Lanzador concept side view

Like many other carmakers, Lamborghini is moving away from traditional gas-powered vehicles. In July, the last purely gas-powered car Lambo plans to make was sold, and the Italian giant is now focusing primarily on plugin hybrids. There is also an all-electric Lamborghini on the horizon, and the world has just gotten its first glimpse of the company's "Lanzador concept."

The "Lanzador" is a bit beefier than the carmaker's standard fare -- edging a lot closer to a Urus than a Hurracan. It also looks a little blocky, but isn't as hexagonal as something like a Cybertruck. This makes sense if the Lanzador is to be the cross between supercar and practical daily driver that Lambo is billing it as. There isn't much of a gray area between supercar and crossover, but the Lanzador may have found a spot to park there. It's tall for a supercar, with its roof hovering around five feet above the ground. Despite its height, it also keeps a low profile for aerodynamic reasons. The clean lines and clear Lamborghini DNA also play into the electric car's futuristic look. Key shapes that are apparently linked to the Italian supercar maker, namely a hexagon and the letter Y, also feature throughout the vehicle in some way -- as with the interior trim and the hexagonal tail lights.

Read more
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is everything you want in a luxury SUV
The Cadillac Escalade IQ is bigger and more powerful than any other Escalade SUV
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ Sport

The Cadillac Escalade is one of the most luxurious cars in the world. Since it was first introduced more than two decades ago, it's always been sold with a V8 gasoline engine to complement its big SUV body style design. But now that the world is transitioning to electric vehicles to reverse the effects of climate change, General Motors is at the forefront with plans to electrify 50% of its vehicles by 2030 — including the Cadillac brand.

Last year, GM delivered the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, and by the end of this year, it is expected to produce the 2024 Cadillac Celestiq, which will compete against the Rolls Royce Spectre. Well, GM is just getting started, and it recently unveiled its first-ever all-electric Cadillac luxury SUV dubbed the Cadillac Escalade IQ. What can you expect?

Read more