The new Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupé

The exterior design

The new CLE Coupé embodies an emotional statement from every perspective. The sporty, elegant two-door unites proportions typical of a coupé with the modern design language of Mercedes-Benz, whose aesthetic soul is shaped by the design philosophy of Sensual Purity. This creates a sculptural appearance for the CLE Coupé, which is characterised by flowing surfaces with seamless transitions. The progressive dynamics and elegance come into their own when viewed from the side: thanks to the combination of a low silhouette (1,428 mm) with a long wheelbase (2,865 mm), short overhangs (888 mm at the front/1,097 mm at the rear) and a particularly muscular shoulder the two-door fills the road. Other typical coupé features are the long bonnet embedded in the front end with two powerful power domes, the steeply sloping windscreen and the long, sloping roof towards the rear. The passenger cell, which is set far back, leads to the sporty, short rear via the rear window, which is also set flat.

A distinctive shaped edge structures the powerful volume in the side wall. This character line runs from the headlight to the exterior mirror and from the rear light to the door handle. It emphasises the sporty proportions and the powerful wheel arches. In addition, the shaped edge, together with the chrome-rimmed side windows, underlines the balance between elegance and dynamics. The basic variant AVANTGARDE Line rolls on 18-inch light-alloy wheels as standard. With the AMG Line, 19-inch rims are standard. A large selection of other light-alloy wheels in 18 to 20 inches and ten different exterior colours enable a high degree of customisation.

Expressive front: newly designed three-dimensional radiator grille

The progressively forward-leaning front section (“shark nose”) with a low-slung bonnet, flat LED headlights with a unique design and a distinctive radiator grille ensure a decidedly athletic yet extremely elegant appearance. The strongly contoured power domes on the long hood reference the powerful engines with up to six cylinders. As is typical for coupés, the radiator grille has a single louvre in glossy black with chrome trim and a central star. Behind it shines a grille in a newly designed, three-dimensional chrome look with a Mercedes-Benz pattern. The downward-opening silhouette of the radiator grille (A-shape design) also emphasises the powerful forward drive of the CLE Coupé. Together with the chrome frame around the shiny black central air intake in the front apron, it makes the two-door look lower and nestle closer to the road.

The CLE Coupé has LED High Performance headlights with a newly designed trifunctional torch for daytime running lights, position lights and direction indicators as standard. DIGITAL LIGHT headlights with and without projection function are available as special equipment. They have two daytime running light ellipses and blue illumination of the headlight base for an unmistakable look that further reinforces the dynamic appearance.

Powerful rear: Distinctive LED lights with three-dimensional light bodies

The powerful rear is characterised by flowing surfaces and smooth transitions. Another highlight is the two-part LED lights with new contours and three-dimensional light bodies. Optionally, a light show to welcome and say goodbye to the passengers is available. The rear lights are connected with a dark red design element. Like the classic chrome trim strip on the bumper, it emphasises the width of the rear. In the AVANTGARDE Line, C‑shaped trim parts enclose the chrome trim strip like a classy clasp.

The dimensional concept: the largest coupé in its segment

With its dimensional concept, the CLE Coupé is in a league of its own. At 4,850 millimetres long, 1,860 millimetres wide and 1,428 millimetres high, the new two-door is significantly larger than the C‑Class Coupé, but two millimetres flatter and 15 millimetres longer than the E-Class Coupé.

		CLE Coupé	Difference to C-Class Coupé	Difference to  E-Class Coupé
Length	mm	4.850	+164	+15
Width	mm	1.860	+50	0
Height	mm	1.428	+23	-2
Wheelbase	mm	2.865	+25	-8
Front overhang	mm	888	+98	+38
Rear overhang	mm	1.097	+41	-15
Track width front/rear	mm	1.605/1.616	+38/+68	0/+7

Interior Design

Sporty luxury in a class of its own, focused fully on the driver: this is the concept for the interior design of the new CLE Coupé. Eye-catchers in the cockpit are the free-standing 12.3-inch (21.3 cm) fully digital instrument display and the 11.9-inch (30.2 cm) central display in user-friendly portrait format. It grows seamlessly out of the front, glossy jet-black area of the centre console and has a six-degree incline towards the driver’s seat. Together with the vertical format, this creates a visual dynamic and lightness that underlines the sporty claim and the pronounced driver orientation of the CLE Coupé.

Additional sportiness is created by the dynamic ambient lighting in 64 colours. Ambient lighting with indirect light on the trim strip of the instrument panel, the cup holders on the centre console, the overhead control unit, the door handles, the seat adjustment unit and in the front footwell is standard equipment. With the optional Ambient Lighting Plus, a light band sweeps from the centre console along the lower edge of the instrument panel to beneath the outer air vents on each side. A strip of light runs in each of the doors along the lines of the armrest and beltline to the rear row of seats, which reinforces the generous feeling of space.

Individual music experience with integrated speakers in the seat 

Other highlights include the standard multi-function sports steering wheel in leather and new front seats developed exclusively for the CLE. They feature an avant-garde sports seat design with integrated headrests. In conjunction with the optional Burmester® 3D surround sound system, they each have two speakers at the level of the headrests, creating a particularly individual and immersive music experience with Dolby Atmos close to the ears. The premium sound system has a total of 17 speakers.

The sporty integral seat look of the new multi-contour seats reinforces the reduced design with three-dimensional, seamless shapes on the instrument panel and in the doors – giving the interior an additional visual lightness. The front seats are heated and have an electro-pneumatic four-way lumbar support as standard. Seat climate control and a seven-zone massage are also available in conjunction with the optional ENERGIZING Plus package. Seat height, backrest and cushion inclination, as well as seat cushion depth, can be infinitely adjusted electrically. The memory function can be used to save individual driver seat settings for up to three people – as can the position of the steering wheel, the optional head-up display and the exterior mirrors. If the driver changes, the optimal driving position can be conveniently set at the touch of a button.

User interface: pixel perfect in the best operating architecture 

The display graphics and their arrangement are taken from the C-Class. The styles “Classic”, “Sport” and “Ambiente” can therefore also be selected in the CLE Coupé and are optionally supplemented by a full-screen map in the instrument cluster. All relevant settings for media, vehicle, telephone, comfort, etc. can be experienced directly and intuitively on the central display. The new main icons in the central display are immediately recognisable as modernisation. They were only recently introduced in the new E-Class.

EASY-ENTRY with elegant leather strap

A new, specific EASY-ENTRY function ensures easy access to the rear. The front seats are not unlocked with a lever, but with an elegant loop made of Nappa leather. It is conveniently located at the upper edge of the backrest. Anyone who has not buckled their seat belt immediately after boarding can reactivate the seat belt feeder via a button on the central display or simply by opening and closing the door again. In addition, the CLE Coupé is one of the first Mercedes-Benz vehicles with an optimised warning if the seat belt is not fastened. The system only reacts to seats on which someone who has not buckled their seat belt is actually sitting.

The KEYLESS-GO comfort package is available to further increase convenience. In addition to starting the engine at the push of a button, it enables all vehicle doors to be opened and locked by simply touching the respective door handle. The recessed grips are illuminated for better orientation in the dark. With HANDS‑FREE ACCESS, the trunk can also be opened and closed contact-free and fully automatically – with a simple kick of the foot in the rear bumper’s sensor area.

Exclusive materials and colours 

One of the most customer-friendly features of the new CLE Coupé is the wide range of customisation options. This includes the exclusive selection of colours and high-quality materials. In the AVANTGARDE Line standard equipment, the seats are upholstered in black ARTICO man-made leather. The AMG Line comes standard with ARTICO/MICROCUT black, which is made of 65 percent recycled materials in the seat area and 85 percent in the inner lining. Alternatively, the colours macchiato beige/black and tonka brown/black are available. Seats in leather with elaborate longitudinal piping and in Nappa leather with quilted, perforated diamond shapes are optionally available. The colour selection ranges from black to macchiato beige/black, tonka brown/black and power red/black to white/black. The leather covers come from sustainable processing, made with plant-based tanning agents.

In the AMG Line, the instrument panel and beltlines are covered as standard in black ARTICO man-made leather with a Nappa look (optional extra for AVANTGARDE Line). A wide range of trim parts with innovative, technoid or natural surfaces expands the sensory experience between traditional and digital luxury. The highlight is a new trim part with a silver-coloured mixed-metal fabric. Due to its high-gloss finish, it looks very futuristic. A similarly innovative feature is an open-pored, black wood veneer that is interspersed with fine real aluminium inlays. The other trim elements include open-pore brown walnut wood, open-pore anthracite linestructure lime wood and AMG carbon fibre. In the basic configuration, the CLE Coupé comes with silver-grey diamond-pattern trim (AVANTGARDE Line) or metal structure (AMG Line).

Generous space

With its dimensional concept – in particular the 25-millimetre longer wheelbase – the CLE Coupé offers significantly more space than the C-Class Coupé. The rear passengers in particular benefit from 10 millimetres more headroom, 19 millimetres more shoulder and elbow room and 72 millimetres more knee room. The trunk offers 60 litres more volume and can easily hold three golf bags.

		CLE Coupé	Difference to C-Class Coupé	Difference to  E-Class Coupé
Effective legroom in front	mm	1.070	+2	+7
Effective legroom in rear	mm	869	+56	-43
Knee room in rear	mm	33	+72	-7
Maximum headroom in front	mm	1.024	+1	-15
Maximum headroom in rear	mm	915	+10	-10
Shoulder room in front	mm	1.414	+22	-10
Shoulder room in rear	mm	1.331	+19	+54
Elbow room in front	mm	1.489	+17	-5
Elbow room in rear	mm	1.377	+19	+36
Trunk volume	L	420	+60	-5