Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe Debuts With 442 bhp In-Line Six

Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the latest addition to its high-performance lineup, the CLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupe. The high-performance two-door coupe arrives just months after the debut of the all-new CLE essentially as a replacement to the likes of the AMG E-class coupe with Mercedes dropping the body style for the latest generation of the C and E.

Visually, the AMG builds on the CLE Coupe’s sporting looks with a more aggressive aero package. The trademark AMG Panamericana grille takes centre stage up front along with a more aggressive front bumper. Down the sides, the AMG CLE rides on 19-inch AMG wheels as standard - upgradeable to 20 inches - with new vents sitting just behind the front wheel arches. Adding to this are sportier side sills along with a more aggressive rear bumper, quad exhaust tips, and a boot lip spoiler.

The company does offer further customisation with optional packages like the AMG Optics package, AMG Night packages, and AMG Carbon packages.

Stepping inside, the AMG CLE gets all the bells and whistles of the standard CLE including the 12.3-inch digital driver display and an 11.9-inch central touchscreen - both now running AMG-specific graphics. The changes come in the form of sportier seats, AMG steering wheel, AMG-specific trims and upholstery options. The seats are done in Artico man-made leather / Microcut black microfiber, accentuated by red contrasting stitching.

The AMG dynamic select function offers five driving programs, "Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual. The driver can transition to manual mode using the "M" button for gear shifts via the shift paddles.

Under the hood, Mercedes has placed an upgraded version of their 3.0 litres M 256 inline six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine now designated M 256M. The engine produces 442 bhp and a maximum torque of 560 Nm (with an overboost of 600 Nm for 12 seconds). The engine is paired to a 9-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and a 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system. The enhancements to the engine include an updated combustion chamber, new piston rings, optimised injection, and a new exhaust gas turbocharger. The unit also benefits from a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a second-generation integrated starter generator that adds up to 17 kW (22.6 bhp) of power and 205 Nm of torque under hard acceleration.

The top speed of AMG CLE is electronically limited up to 250 km/h which can further be extendable to 270 km/h with the optional AMG Driver's Package. The car sprints from 0-100kmph in 4.2 seconds.

The brakes too have been upgraded with internally ventilated 370 mm discs with four-piston fixed calipers up front and 360 mm discs accompanied by single-piston floating calipers at the rear. The CLE gets steel springs with adaptive dampers as standard with drivers able to cycle through three ride settings - Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

The automaker also offers an optional AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package that offers sportier equipment, including a RACE driving program with Drift Mode.

The AMG CLE 53 will go up against the likes of the Audi S5 and the BMW M440i coupe in global markets.