Looking to cash in more on its model lineup, Mercedes is reshuffling it, and with this decision came the death of certain vehicles, with others to follow.
Thus, the Stuttgart auto brand no longer offers coupe and convertible versions of the E-Class and C-Class, as the CLE acts as their replacement. Unveiled last summer, the CLE slots between the C- and E-Class in terms of size, and it is closer to the latter, thus offering a more spacious cockpit compared to the two-door versions of the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series.
No one will confuse it for anything else other than a Mercedes, as the CLE has a very familiar design. The same goes for the interior, too, with its generously sized dual screens. It gets stuff such as 5G and allows users to hold Zoom conferences, play Angry Birds, and scroll through TikTok. As usual, interested parties will have to get the higher specs to benefit from additional gizmos.
The current range-topper of the series, until the 63 arrives, is the CLE 53 4Matic+. It features an upgraded 3.0-liter turbo-six, aided by an integrated starter generator and a 48V system. It puts 442 hp (449 ps/330 kW) and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque under the driver's right foot, with the latter number increasing to 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) on Overboost. The 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) takes 4.2 seconds, and the top speed is 155 or 168 mph (250-270 kph) with the AMG Driver's Pack option.
Photo: Instagram | sugardesign_1
Mercedes' decision to replace the two-door versions of the C and E with a single model, the CLE, looks like a smart move, especially since traditional low-slung models are losing significant ground to crossovers and SUVs. As a result, there will probably never be a C-Class and an E-Class Coupe/Convertible, but that doesn't mean that these models cannot exist in Fantasy Land. Case in point, let's give a warm welcome to the 2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.
Sketched out, polished, and shared on social media recently by sugardesign_1, these renderings portray a two-door version of the latest-gen E-Class with a fixed roof over the passenger compartment. The car stays true to the real E-Class, featuring a few updates here and there, and it is a very interesting proposal. The premium GT ignores the CLE, features a special hue to stand out more, and rides on a set of bi-tone alloys.
We are certainly fans of these renderings that are neither related to nor endorsed by the three-pointed star brand. Then again, we also like the styling of the real thing, aka the CLE, and that of the latest E-Class, and if we had a saying, we would've kept the coupe and convertible variants of the C-Class and E-Class. Would you have done that, too?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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