The Mercedes-Benz CLE consolidates what used to be two separate two-door lines, the C-Class Coupe/Cabriolet and the E-Class Coupe/Cabriolet, into one nameplate built on the MRA2 platform since the coupe’s late-2023 launch and the cabriolet’s arrival in 2024. Both bodies are sold side by side in every engine, so the choice a buyer makes is fixed roof or soft top, not a different car underneath.
Three engines reach the US market. The CLE 300 runs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder making 255 hp and 400 Nm, reaching 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. The CLE 450 steps up to a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six at 375 hp and 500 Nm, cutting that to 4.4 seconds. The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 tops the regular range at 443 hp and 560 Nm from the same six-cylinder block with AMG’s own tuning, running 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. All three carry a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, a 9-speed automatic and 4MATIC all-wheel drive as standard in the US; European buyers can also get the CLE 300 with rear-wheel drive.
The cabin is shared across the range: a curved dual-screen dashboard running Mercedes’ MBUX system, ambient lighting and, on the Cabriolet, a fabric roof that opens in under 20 seconds at speeds up to 60 km/h. Coupe boot space is 420 litres; the Cabriolet holds 385 litres with the roof raised, 295 with it lowered, and 760 with the rear seats folded for longer loads.
Pricing starts at $60,900 for the CLE 300 Coupe before destination, rising to $70,500 for the CLE 450 and $77,400 for the AMG CLE 53; the Cabriolet adds roughly $8,500-8,900 to each figure.
In September 2026, AMG topped the range with the CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, a 30-unit special built on the AMG CLE 53’s body. It swaps the inline-six for a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 making 637 hp and 850 Nm, drops the 4MATIC+ hardware for rear-wheel drive only, and deletes the rear seats and 60 mm-wider body covers wider tracks - together cutting about 170 kg versus the AMG CLE 53. Mercedes quotes 3.9 seconds to 100 km/h and a 310 km/h top speed. All 30 sold out at the car’s unveiling, so it is a closed production run rather than an orderable trim.
