Mercedes CLE Will Replace The Mercedes C-Class And E-Class Two-Door Models

Mercedes-Benz has informed the brand’s U.S. dealers that the upcoming Mercedes CLE will debut soon and will replace the Mercedes C-Class and E-Class two-door models.
 

As we wrote last summer, Mercedes wants to simplify the convertible lineup due to dramatically shrinking demand in these segments. Demand for such models is at a 20-year low. One dealer told Automotive News after last month’s national dealer conference that there isn’t enough demand for three coupes and that it makes no sense to invest billions of dollars in developing a successor for all three models.
 
As you know, Mercedes has stopped offering the Mercedes S-Class Coupe and Cabrio for the new generation S-Class, directing all funds to the development of the dedicated EVA electric platform used for the new EQS and EQE.
 
Also, instead of the Mercedes C-Class and E-Class Cabrio, Mercedes will offer a single model, called the Mercedes CLE which will be unveiled by the end of the year and will go on sale from 2023. Built on the MRA II platform like the C-Class, the Mercedes CLE will use only 4-cylinder engines. A single 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine with mild hybrid technology will be available on debut.
 
Also expected in 2023 is an AMG version that will feature a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from the AMG A 45 combined with an electric motor for a total of around 550 HP, like the upcoming AMG C 63.
 
Like the current C-Class Cabrio and E-Class Cabrio, the Mercedes CLE Cabrio will retain the softtop solution and will have proportions closer to the C-Class than the E-Class. Although Mercedes is not yet announcing anything about a possible Mercedes CLE Coupe, we believe there will be one. But one American dealer believes that the market share of a possible coupe version has been cornered by coupe SUVs, which are preferred because they are more practical.