2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE First Look: More Flash For That Cash

Two-door coupes and convertibles are an increasingly rare breed these SUV-laden days, even among the premium German automakers. Just two years ago Mercedes-Benz was cranking out an impressive trio of coupes for the C-, E- and S-Class, but next year there’ll be only one. That car will be the midsize 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE, revealed by the automaker today, and the good news for coupe fans is that it blends some of the best aspects of the old C- and E-Class two-doors into an improved and stylish whole.

It’s SUVs, of course, that have taken the wind out of coupe and convertible sales, but the German automakers in particular love turning out sleek body styles for niche markets. The S-Class Coupe may be gone forever, but Stuttgart is reluctant to abandon its coupe fans entirely. It also announced last year that it would refocus its offerings to become a “dedicated pure-play luxury car company.” Coupes and convertibles are about style, expression and fun, not practicality, and that alone is a luxury trait these days.

If the decision to consolidate the C-Class and E-Class two-doors onto a single model sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because it’s a return to an older practice. In 1997, the automaker replaced the former E-Class two-door models with the CLK-class, which looked like the E but used the lighter, smaller chassis of the then four-door-only C-Class and cost far less. The idea proved popular, but 13 years later the automaker spun it off into separate C- and E-Class two-doors. With coupes in decline, things have now come full circle.

Mercedes-Benz’s two-door traditions go back many decades, but the new CLE looks very much like it will successfully replicate the CLK formula for a new generation. For now, the automaker has only revealed the coupe, but a droptop version will follow next spring. High-performance AMG versions, possibly reusing some tech from the Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance, are certain to follow.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE: Bigger And Better If Not Bolder

Since the CLE will replace the soon-to-vanish C-Class two-doors (still using the previous-gen C-Class platform) and their current E-Class equivalents, you’d expect it to fall between the two in lots of ways, but that’s not entirely the case. The CLE will ride the same modular “MRA II” platform architecture as the recently-redesigned C-, E-, and S-Class models, so there are plenty of shared traits. Size-wise, however, the CLE Coupe is slightly longer than the outgoing 2023 E-Class Coupe, at 191 inches long riding a 114.1-inch wheelbase, and much larger than the old C-Class Coupe.

This, the automaker says, will yield more room than its C-Class predecessor. According to Mercedes-Benz, it’ll have 2.8 inches more rear knee room (to 34.8 inches) and 2.1 cubic-feet more trunk space than the old E-Class (for a pretty good 12.6 in total judging by the existing C-Class Coupe’s specs). Company officials have also said that the floorpan has been redesigned to yield more forward legroom, though exact statistics were not revealed.

It will also be easier to get into the back seats. Most coupe owners rarely use the rears of their cars for anything but storage, but BMW’s capacious 4 and 8 Series coupes offer livable back seats that the former C-Class coupe did not and which smaller coupes like the Lexus RC or BMW 2 Series could never hope to match. Now it will be easier to access the rear thanks to an easy-entry switch activated by a Nappa leather loop on the top rear edge of the front seats.

The dashboard, vents and screens look just like those in the C-class and new GLC. There’s a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 11.9-inch, portrait-style central infotainment screen running the latest MBUX software. The front seats are exclusive to the CLE and feature integrated speakers in the headrests, and the cabin features the same attractive 64-color ambient lighting other recent Benzes have sported. An optional head-up display is likely.

Sadly, the pretty hardtop roof, a staple of E-Class coupes for decades that mimicked an open-air feel even with the car’s fixed roof, will be no more. Notably, the first CLK didn’t have this feature either. Instead, the CLE will use a conventional B-pillar like the old C-Class Coupe, likely for crash safety and cost reasons, although it could be simply to make the car quieter. If you want that al fresco feel, you’ll have to wait for the Cabriolet. At the very least, a panoramic sunroof will be optional on the Coupe.

B-pillar or no, the CLE looks good. Sporting the latest variation of the soft but muscular “Sensual Purity” design language that has permeated the entire Mercedes-Benz lineup over the past half-decade, it riffs on both the earlier C and E designs while creating something new. It’s clearly a Mercedes-Benz coupe and looks right at home with the Mercedes-AMG SL and CLA, but it also looks fresh and much cleaner than its opposite numbers from BMW.

Motive Power And Tech

Although Mercedes-Benz has not yet revealed the exact specs, the company did reveal today that the CLE will offer 2.0-liter four- or 3.0-liter six-cylinder power and that all of its engines will have 48V mild-hybrid assist systems. 

This almost certainly means that the CLE Coupe will use the same 255-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the C-Class and GLC as its base engine (for a CLE 300), with the 375-hp 3.0-liter inline-six from the E-Class as an option (for a CLE 450), though exact details might differ and won’t be revealed until later this year. 

Both versions will also likely use the same nine-speed automatic used in both of those models and the GLC crossover. The CLE will probably also offer 4Matic all-wheel drive as an option and a selection of 18 to 20-inch rims. 

It’s still too early to know what in-house tuner AMG has in store for the car, but since the CLE is replacing two models that were offered in AMG 53 and 63 S guises at various times, the forecast seems certain to include hot and scorching variations, but probably not until late 2024 or early 2025.

Mercedes-Benz will bundle the same standard safety features as the C-Class and GLC, including automatic emergency braking, a driver attention monitor and active brake assist. The full suite, including the same Level 2 driving assistance features offered on those other models, will be optional.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE: When and How Much?

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe will arrive in dealer showrooms this fall, with the CLE Cabriolet following just in time for the spring of 2024. The automaker hasn’t revealed any pricing details so far, but expect it to fall closer to the old E-Class Coupe in price than the former C-Class.

In 2022, the C300 Coupe started at just under $49,000, but the CLE’s starting price seems more likely to edge a bit over $60,000, a steep increase but also the sticker for a bigger, better car. That price absolutely isn’t confirmed, but it would be lower than the six-cylinder-only 2023 E-Class Coupe, which starts at $70,800 including destination fees. Expect the six-cylinder CLE models to cost more than $70,000.

Historically, even that higher price is a bargain. When the final W124-series E320 Coupe was new in 1996, it cost $63,000 (the equivalent of $124,000 today). 1998’s CLK, the first year it was offered in the U.S., listed for just under $40,000, which is about $75,000 today. If Mercedes-Benz repeats this pattern and offers more coupe for slightly less money in 2024, few will be disappointed.