car&bike Awards 2026: Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe Wins Luxury Performance Car Of The Year

The Luxury Performance Car Of The Year is one of the most keenly contested categories every year at the car&bike awards. It was no different this time with some worthy set of wheels were vying for coveted award. The Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai provided an ideal setting for the car jury to sample the nominees after which it was the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe which came out on top. The Coupe beat its arch rival, the BMW M5 to win the category. In the market it is priced at Rs. 1.35 crore, ex-showroom.

The hard-top sibling to the CLE 300 Cabriolet arrived in the AMG guise in the market. It runs on a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine, tuned to deliver 442 bhp and 560 Nm. There also an over-boost function which increases torque to 600 Nm for up to 12 seconds. A 48-volt mild-hybrid system can add an additional 22.6 bhp and 205 Nm when the accelerator is pressed hard. A 9-speed automatic transmission helps the car do 0-100 kmph in just 4.2 seconds while the top speed is capped at 250 kmph.

When compared to the CLE Cabriolet, the CLE 53 gets distinct design details such as sharper front and rear bumpers, Panamericana grille and fender vents. The sloping roofline that extends toward the boot lid also lends a sport look to the car. A quad exhaust setup and a gloss-black diffuser add some character on the rear. Cabin gets AMG performance seats and AMG-badged steering wheel apart from features like an 11.9-inch vertical touchscreen and a Burmester sound system.