No, you haven’t seen this Benz before

Mercedes is one of the few manufacturers that continues to believe in coupes. In evidence: The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE, a handsome two-door that goes on sale next year, to be followed closely by a CLE Cabriolet.

The CLE Coupe, at 191 inches long, 73.2 inches wide, and 56.2 inches high, is considerably larger than the C-Class Coupe it replaces, down to and including the trunk, which has a capacity of 14.8 cubic feet and can accommodate three golf bags. (An important stat for a car in this segment.) If those dimensions sound eerily familiar, you aren’t crazy: The CLE is almost the exact same size as the E-Class Coupe, which the CLE also replaces for 2024.

Benz’s 64-color ambient interior lighting system is standard in the CLE, as is a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 11.9-inch, S-Class-style center touchscreen. There’s an “avant garde” sport seat design, and a 17-speaker Dolby sound system. Nappa leather is an option, with MB-Tex upholstery standard.

You can choose between a four- or six-cylinder engine: The CLE 300 4Matic has a 2.0-liter, 255-hp four-pot, and the CLE 450 4Matic a 3.0-liter inline-six with 375 horses. Both are turbocharged, with a 48-volt mild hybrid system that can add up to 23 hp. Top speed on both cars is limited to 130 mph. The nine-speed automatic transmission routes power to all four wheels.

Outside, the styling showcases a long wheelbase, “ a well-positioned and strongly inclined A-pillar, a short front overhang and a slightly longer rear overhang, as well as pronounced shoulders and large wheel arches,” Mercedes says.

“True to the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of Sensual Purity, the result is a powerful, dynamic design that embodies an emotional statement from every perspective.” The word “muscular” appears more than once in the press materials for the CLE. An AMG Line package, which adds a sportier aesthetic, is optional on the 300, standard on the 450. Suspension is multi-link front and rear. Wheels are 18, 19, or 20 inches in diameter.

Pricing information will be released closer to the CLE Coupe’s introduction, which will be early in 2024.

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