Funny how there hasn’t been much talk of the latest, four-cylinder hybrid C 63 since the first drives occurred over a year and a half ago. In that time, Mercedes-AMG has gone on to launch V8-powered 63s for the S, SL and upcoming GT, yet it's thought of the electrified C that continues to linger because we await a second, conclusive bite of the cherry. Having created this vacuum, the manufacturer could do with a quick and easy win to fill it. On paper, there's a good chance its brawny new coupe might be exactly that.
Certainly there's a sense of relief that the CLE 53 4Matic+ is a back-to-basics AMG that forgoes the overly complicated, F1-inspired hybrid system in the C 63 (though word on the street is the 2.0-litre will feature on the coupe in the fullness of time, too), and instead packs a far more straightforward turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six. There’s still a hybrid element in the form of a 48-volt system located inside the nine-speed automatic gearbox, but it is solely there to eke out a bit more fuel economy, smooth out the stop/start and provide a 23hp boost under hard acceleration. Additionally, as we've seen in other Merdeces-AMG applications, there are electric motors that keep the twin-scroll turbocharger primed to minimise lag. And that’s about it: no battery management, no special deployment programs.
Better still, the CLE 53 now looks like a proper AMG. Whereas older 53s have typically resembled highly-specced AMG Lines with every night pack option ticked, the hotter CLE has a much more menacing look with a new, aggressive front bumper and blistered arches that increase the width by 58mm up front and 75mm at the rear. Go for the AMG styling package with its deeper front splitter, chunkier diffuser and larger rear spoiler and you’d swear you were looking at a full-fat 63 - especially in matte black with the silver-lipped wheels.
The CLE 53’s broader shoulders are particularly noticeable on the narrow, twisty and mostly blind corners that line our test route in southern Tenerife, where every passing coach prompts an involuntary inhale through gritted teeth. It’s a big thing, and a heavy one too at dead-on 2,000kg, though for the most part the CLE disguises its heft well with a responsive front-end and rear-wheel steering that neatly tucks the back in through tighter hairpins. Carry enough speed on entry and the wheelbase seems to shrink as the rear wheels adjust by up to 2.5 degrees in the opposite direction to the fronts, amplifying the feeling of the car rotating beneath you mid-corner. That inspires confidence to get on the power earlier, which is rewarded with a canny, characteristic bit of slip from the rear. Not lewd, old-school levels of AMG V8 playfulness, of course. But enough to suggest it is not entirely straight-laced either.
Braking is immense thanks to four-piston front callipers with 370mm discs, and there’s a nice progressive feel to the pedal under load and while trailing into corners. True to persistent Mercedes form, the steering isn’t the last word in tactility and it seems a touch lethargic off-centre, which can make the front end feel unresponsive on initial turn-in. But wind a fraction more lock on and the nose darts towards the nearest apex as the rear-steer springs to life. As you can imagine, this makes for a fairly noticeable step change in responsiveness, and it takes a few corners before your expectations reset.
Thankfully, the inline six delivers its 449hp and 413lb ft with more linearity. Squeeze the throttle and the engine responds by firing you off towards the horizon (well, the flimsy wooden barriers lining the mountain roads) almost instantaneously thanks to the availability of so much on-tap torque. It’s an area that AMG has obviously worked on with the CLE 53’s updated M 256M engine, which features new piston rings and a new exhaust gas turbocharger alongside an additional electric compressor. There’s also overboost functionality that automatically activates when you floor the throttle, upping peak twist to 443lb ft for ten seconds.
It is mightily effective in a straight line and the rear-biased all-wheel drive system spits you out of corners like a released bungee. It’d be even better if the straight-six turbo engine was a bit more characterful, though. Don’t get me wrong, it’s more pleasant than the booming drone emitted by the C 63's 2.0-litre - and it was never going to sound like a BMW S54 yowling its way toward the red - but surely there’s a way to inject a bit more bark in a car that looks like it's got plenty of bite. (And no, pumping fake induction noise into the cabin isn’t a perfect solution, Mercedes.)
Predictably, you can tweak the exhaust sound and pretty much everything else with a veritable smorgasbord of driver modes that Mercedes-AMG lays on. Going for the optional AMG Dynamic Plus pack unlocks ‘Race’ mode, which includes a drift programme (though there were too many coaches packed with British tourists to put that to use), plus a ‘Race Start’ launch control feature that, according to a helpful Mercedes technician, doesn’t work unless the gearbox is at balmy 56 degrees celsius, presumably to prevent it from detonating after repeated traffic light drag races. Which is a nice reminder that the firm knows what its customers are getting up to even if isn't catering to their every whim.
Shifts from the nine-speed automatic are nice and snappy in Race mode (aside from the deep thud from the exhaust on every upshift), but it’s the C53's ride quality that really impresses. Having spent the morning in the CLE 450 Cabriolet, which could feel a little boaty on the switchbacks, the step-up in intent is palpable. There’s barely any roll while flicking between hairpins, and with the adaptive AMG Ride Control dampers in their firmest ‘Master’ setting there’s even a hint of road texture transmitted through the seat backs. Even back in Comfort you don't lose the sensation of superlative body control. Moreover, the throttle becomes less trigger-happy and the gearbox stops trying so hard to impress you.
This is significant because scrolling through the different modes using the two steering wheel buttons can be a bit fiddly at first. The right dial operates like a normal mode selector by turning the outer ring, while the left mixes touch controls and physical buttons to cycle through the damper, ESC and exhaust settings. The easiest thing is to set the whole thing up before setting off, which is made easier by the brilliant MBUX-powered 11.9-inch central display. The OLED screen is a visual treat and it’s just as responsive as the engine ahead of it, so it never feels like a chore to rearrange everything - interior lighting, instruments, Individual mode etc - so it's just the way you want it.
How the rest of the cabin is laid out really depends on how much you’re willing to spend on options. The sports buckets that came with this car provided good support out on the mountain passes, though plusher seats are available if you prefer your CLE 53 to seem like more of a GT. And while the glossy centre console is a fingerprint magnet, the metal highlights, Alcantara grips on the wheel, carbon fibre trim make the CLE 53 feel just as posh as the full-fat 63.
That’s the crux really of what Mercedes-AMG is aiming for here. It might have put a lot less effort into the CLE 53 for something that resembled the same result, but the car it has come up with drives a lot more like the now-redundant C63 coupe than it perhaps had any right to. Granted, no six-pot can replicate the shock and awe of the V8, but its presence is nevertheless the crucial differentiator in making the new model feel like a welcome return to bullish, well-judged form. Well, that and the price, which starts at £73,075, or £78,825 for the Pro Performance pack with the more aggressive aero and extra driving modes. We’ll have to wait and see what Affalterbach has up its sleeve for a 63 version of the CLE, but, unlike previous years, it feels like there are no guarantees that whatever turns up will automatically overpower the likeable middleweight option.
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+
Engine: 2,999cc six-cylinder, turbocharged hybrid
Transmission: nine-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 449@5,800rpm-6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 413@2,200rpm-5,000rpm (443 with overboost)
0-62mph: 4.2 seconds
Top speed: 155mph (168mph optional)
Weight: 2,080kg
MPG: 39.4
CO2: 220-212g/km
Price: from £73,075
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