Mercedes-Benz to launch new AMG CLE 53 in India next year

Mercedes-Benz will launch the new AMG CLE 53 in India by late 2025, Autocar India can confirm. The AMG CLE 53 version, unveiled in December 2023, gets styling upgrades and boost in performance over the E 53 coupe it replaces. Mercedes also sells the CLE 53 with a convertible roof in international markets. It is yet to be ascertained whether the coupe or cabriolet comes to Indian shores.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53: design

Courtesy of the AMG billing comes a Panamericana radiator grille and LED headlamps with sleeker DRLs and blue illumination at the base. The large air intake for increased airflow is accommodated by a front skirt that rises towards the centre. Further, smaller air intakes surrounding it get two horizontal fins, while a long bonnet and raked windshield add to the stance.

Along the sides of the coupe are flared wheel arches accommodating 58mm and 75mm wider front and rear tracks, respectively, than the standard CLE’s. As for alloy wheels, there will be 19 and 20-inch sizes on offer, the latter being an optional upgrade. 

The two-part LED taillights at the back do not get the connected treatment but a darkened element runs in between. Mercedes has equipped the CLE with two exhausts on each side of the bumper, integrated into the rear diffuser. 

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53: features

Inside, there’s an AMG Performance flat-bottom steering wheel with touch control buttons. It also gets a 12.3-inch driver’s display, which sits next to the third-generation MBUX-powered 11.9-inch touchscreen (in portrait orientation) display. Others include 64-colour ambient lights, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Burmester sound system and wireless charger. 

For a shorter turning radius, the rear wheels turn parallel to the front wheels to a maximum of 0.7 degrees at speeds of more than 100 kph.

Mercedes-AMG CLE 53: performance, expected price

The performance-focused CLE borrows the ‘M256’ 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six mill from the E 53 sedan, with an additional 48V mild-hybrid starter-generator (ISG) motor. This setup is capable of generating 449hp and 560Nm, out of which the torque can be increased to 600Nm (7 percent bump) for 12 seconds with the Overboost mode. Transmission duties are managed by a nine-speed gearbox paired with a torque-vectoring four-wheel drive (4Matic) system. The AMG CLE covers 0-100kph in 4.2 seconds and maxes out at 250kph, while it can be extended to 270kph with the AMG Performance Package. In the AMG CLE 53 Cabriolet, the same takes 0.2 seconds more at 4.4 seconds, owing to the convertible roof system. For reference, the BMW M2 has a sprint time of 4.2 (manual) and 4 seconds (automatic). 

As for pricing, we expect the next year-bound AMG CLE 53 Coupe to have a price tag of around Rs 2 crore.