Mercedes-Benz is working on one of the biggest changes to its portfolio in recent years. The E-Class and C-Class in coupe and convertible form will be replaced by a new model family known as the CLE-Class. We’ve spied this product on a number of occasions and now we can bring you a new spy video showing the prototype licking the Nurburgring at decent speed.
The CLE will be a grand tourer rather than a pure performance coupe, but that doesn’t mean it will be slow. This clip from the German track shows a good tempo and minimal body roll and overall, the car looks calm and agile. We don’t know what the actual speed is but it’s definitely not low.
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Apart from the full body camouflage seen in this video, the CLE Coupe shows off most of its exterior design. Most importantly, it looks like a production headlight and the cluster will look very similar to the one on the C-Class. In cabriolet form, the CLE also looks like the more conservative SL roadster.
In terms of hardware hidden under the skin, the CLE will mirror the technology seen in the new C-Class. This meant only a four-cylinder engine was expected under the hood until the highest-range AMG 63 version. In the C63, there’s an electrified 2.0-liter turbo mill with the system capable of a peak output of 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters) of torque. Other, smaller models, including the CLE 53, should also be part of the lineup.
For now, there has been evidence of coupe and convertible versions of the CLE-Class. However, there are rumors that a shooting brake model will also be part of the CLE family, although we haven’t seen any spy shots of this variant yet. We expect CLE to arrive before the end of the year but with only about a month left until 2023, that seems unlikely at this point. It’s unclear whether we will see a convertible and a coupe at the same time or if the company plans to launch these variants in a staggered manner.
