The Drive Report: Mercedes-AMG CLE53 

This may not be a full-bodied V8 AMG, but everything about its size and stature signifies that it is a bruiser.

It’s easy to mistake this for the yesteryear great that was the C63 AMG – a bonafide German muscle car with a bristling V8 under the hood. It’s also easy to mistake this for a C43 AMG – a feisty but relatively ineffective attempt at AMG-fication. But this is the new CLE53 AMG Coupè – that last suffix being redundant since you’re unlikely to mistake this for anything else. Not with those frameless doors and not with that sculpted, muscular form.

This may not be a full-bodied V8 AMG, but everything about its size and stature signifies that it is a bruiser.

So, what do we like about the CLE53? Let’s start with the way it looks. India got its first dose of the CLE – essentially a blend of the C-Class and the E-Class coupè – with the ultra-comfy CLE 300 Cabriolet earlier last year. This is its muscle-bound twin, having lifted enough iron at Affalterbach to take-on both the track and the tarmac.

This noticeable bump in its musculature is visible from all angles. From the louvre on its bonnet, the flared wheel arches, the widened track, the large air-intakes and the windswept, tapering rear-end. It’s so visually arresting in fact, that you won’t give it a closer look to see what denomination of AMG it is. It’s not a perfect design mind you, the hood vent is in reality much smaller than the design leads you to believe, though it’s still badass.

The side gills are purely for show. But it has prompted many-a-smartphones to briefly exit their respective pockets, greeting the AMG with a flashing camera.

The CLE53 gets a proper in-line 6-cylinder, 3.0-litre petrol with a twin-scroll turbo with an electric auxiliary compressor to address that low-end turbo lag. Making 450hp and 560Nm of torque. In today’s spec-obsessed world, this may not scream supercar levels of power but it needn’t. In fact the CLE isn’t a car that likes to announce its arrival with too much bombast. But rest assured, its ability to gather speed is right up there with the very best.

Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe

Turbo kicks-in at a smidge above 3800rpm, but the compressor keeps things interesting if not outrightly wild till then. But just tug at the left paddle shifter blade and, even in “Comfort” setting, the CLE53 is ready to rumble. Power delivery is smooth and distilled, gushing past the throttle gates, with a mountain of readily available torque allowing it to absolutely fly when faced with an open road. Its mid-range is strongest, and that’s where it can gather pace at an alarming rate. It’s got some nifty tech that should make it a fairly adept track car, like a Drift Mode and rear-wheel steering making it a very sharp handler, switching lanes like at lightning speed. Merc’s proprietary +4Matic All-Wheel Drive system keeps things stable, but changing the drive setting can make it more rear-biased.

There’s a certain readiness to deliver explosive power that takes you by surprise. There’s almost no turbo lag, and when power kicks-in, it kicks-in hard and almost surreptitiously. Even in short bursts, the CLE53 is capable of delivering big thrills.

Interiors

This is a familiar setting for those who’ve been in a C-Class. Mercedes-Benz has redefined ergonomic splendour for the modern age. That iPad-sized central touchscreen doesn’t seem as distracting now. In fact, easy access to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a high-definition 360-degree camera and a variety of multimedia functions make it best in class. But this is an AMG, so with it must come tell tale signs of AMG-ness.

Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe

A chunky, flat-bottomed steering bathed in alcantara and leather does that for you. It’s got a typical AMG rotary knob allowing you to toggle between the four drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race). There’s even a Drift and Track Race mode accessible through the central touchscreen – further proof that this is a serious sports car. In case the contrast stitching and red seat belts weren’t enough of a giveaway.

The Outlier

By creating a mish-mash of segments, Mercedes-Benz India has offered a car which doesn’t have a direct rival to speak of. It’s cheaper, less powerful and less hardcore than the BMW M4, it’s no mere C-Class coupè and customers are expected to take full advantage of its confusing nomenclature.

With a proper V8-version rumoured to be on the way, the CLE AMG is the new face of Mercedes-Benz’s performance coupes in India. But it managed to do so while avoiding the pitfalls of being a hardcore AMG. It’s fast and exhilarating, even blindingly quick in Sport+, at the same time it isn’t overly stiff or low-slung. It moves over some of Mumbai’s most daunting potholes and speed bumps with total ease. The ride isn’t bone-crushing and being a top-end variant, it’s got all the creature comforts you can hope for.

While it lacks the drama of larger AMGs with handbuilt engines, the bristling, burbling exhaust and the foreboding hum that permeates the cabin, the straight-six is unfailingly smooth and tuned in a way that it’s responsive at all times. At Rs 1.35 crore ( ex-showroom) it’s certainly priced like the premium sports car it is, but in terms of the sheer performance it delivers along with the everyday comfort that it offers, the CLE53 AMG might just be the ideal blend of performance and comfort.