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2019 Mercedes CLE/CLS Rear Cabin Will Be a World of Luxury, Engineers Testing It

You could say that the most important question revolving around the third generation of Mercedes-Benz's E-Class-based four-door coupe has to do with the nameplate of the vehicle - will the sloping roofline model keep the CLS moniker or will it go for the speculated CLE badge?
2019 Mercedes CLE/CLS spyshots 15 photos
Photo: Carpix
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While we still don't have an official answer to that question, we want to focus on a more practical aspect of the four-door coupe, namely its rear cabin. And that's because the third coming of the car that popularized the four-door coupe segment will see the vehicle finally offering rear seat accommodation that deserves the "luxury" tag.

We've enjoyed ourselves in several CLS models so far, but none of them treated the rear passengers as well as those sitting up front. Well, the 2019 model will change this, all thanks to the new platform of the vehicle.

The MRA architecture, which has already proven its worth on the market, means that, for instance, rear passengers of the sporty model won't have to deal with knee room limitations.

For one thing, the most recent spyshots of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLE, which you can find in the gallery to your right, show Mercedes engineers testing the rear cabin of the vehicle.

Sure, we won't receive as many seating options as in the S-Class, but the compromise brought by that sexy roof will me more balanced than ever before. And speaking of the vehicle's exterior lines, we might just end up with the world's most aerodynamic production car, as we explained in a dedicated story - we could even get a Cd as low as 0.19.

In the powertrain department, the rumor mill talks about a separation, with the CLE engine range being topped by six-cylinder units, a breed that will be represented by the German automaker's upcoming straight-six engines. You can expect a "400" model animated by a twin-turbo six-pot aided by a 48V electric system delivering mild hybrid assistance at low and mid revs, while boosting efficiency.

The same rumors mention Affalterbach developing a bespoke version of the car, which should skip the CLE badge. Regardless of the labeling, we'll get to see the Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 in action, while a detuned version of the unit should serve "550" models (make that "500" in Europe).

The lavish four-door coupe we're discussing should bow in the first half of next year, so we have plenty of time to get under its camouflaged skin.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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