DREAM MACHINE
The new Mercedes CLE is a beauty
THE Spice Girls would love the new MercedesBenz CLE, because it’s a perfect example of what happens when two become one. Instead of separate C-Class and EClass coupés, this car now serves as the twodoor version of both, and that leaves it with a lot of heavy lifting to do to please fans of the earlier models.
No bother to it at all, as it happens, because this is a beautiful car. It is 16.4 centimetres longer than the old C-Class coupé, and just 3.5cm shorter than the outgoing E-Class coupé, so in that regard it veers more strongly in the direction of its bigger progenitor. It also is a fraction lower than the old E-Class, and that makes it look as sleek as it is long.
The car is available in the Avantgarde design, but I drove the AMG line, which adds a flared look to the face of the car, bringing more drama to it than a month of Fair City.
My car also was a 2.0-litre 197hp turbodiesel version, with a mild hybrid electric motor system that kicks in another 23hp if needed. Look, we all know diesel is going the way of the dinosaurs, though as a fossil fuel, it probably contains bits of them, but there still is something lovely about turning on a car and seeing predicted range of 800km. After some of the scares I’ve had with range in EVs over the years, that alone bring a sense of deep comfort.
So too does the interior. My test car came with what might be the loveliest upholstery I’ve ever seen in a Merc, Nappa leather in black and white. I’m not usually a fan of monochrome, but here it is as sophisticated as a Cecil Beaton outfit on Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. Honestly, it is stunning.
The car is a four-seater, though, and here we meet the first problem. I collected friends from the airport, and he is 92 and she is younger, but has a bad back. Getting them in and out of the car proved a challenge, so be warned, it really is for people who are limber.
Personally, I found it no problem and, again after driving a string of crossovers and SUVs, I liked the feeling of being lower and at one with the road. The great thing about a lower driving position is that you always feel like you’re going faster than actually is the case, and that means you’re less likely to unwittingly exceed the limit, though the cruise control and speed limiter also are a big help in that regard.
The car gets the full Mercedes MBUX treatment, with a huge, central infotainment screen for satnav, entertainment input, and control of features such as the multicolour ambient lighting. There also are a couple of games, one of which, Two Cards, basically is what we used to call Snap!, and is utterly addictive (and don’t worry, you can’t play while driving!).
As for the drive, well, you’ll hit 100kph from a standing start in 7.5 seconds, which is tidy enough, though the dazzling acceleration of the electric Mercedes EQ range has slightly spoiled us in this regard. Who would have thought 7.5 seconds would feel oddly unengaging?
The ride and handling are terrific, though, with pinpoint precision in the nicely calibrated steering, and suspension that smooths the road even on such a low profile, and on 19-inch wheels.
As you might expect, there’s a lot of kit present for the €72,315 base price, but my car came with optional extras – metallic graphite grey paint (€1,520), that lovely upholstery (€4,953), a night-driving package (€1,408), and a panoramic sliding sunroof (€2,664) — that brought the total to €83,760. That’s a lot of money.
Standard safety and convenience features include active parking assist, adapttive high-beam assist, logo puddle lights, blind spot assist, heated front seats, folding and dimming mirrors, reversing camera, automatic climate control, heated seats, evasive manoeuvre support, emergency call system, pedestrian protection system, and much more.
So, yes, while this is an expensive car, you do get a lot of bang for your buck. Most of all, though, you just want to keep looking at it. It really is a design dream, as sportylooking as anything outside the full AMG family that Mercedes-Benz has recently produced.
It very easily could have fallen between two stools and pleased no one, but this chimera of the C and E Classes instead has taken DNA from both, and produced a work of art