The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 exudes an unmistakable presence. It’s the kind of car that makes you stop mid-stride and do a double-take.

With its AMG badge, it carries an expectation of performance, but this isn’t a full-fat 63. Instead, the CLE53 finds its sweet spot somewhere between outright aggression and refined composure, a balancing act that promises a lot on paper.

A Coupe On A Protein Diet

The CLE53 begins life as the standard CLE coupe. Then it gets a dose of AMG steroids. Wider tracks (58mm in the front and a beefy 75mm at the rear) necessitate muscular arches to house those chunky 295-section rear tyres.

The result is a stance that harks back to the C63 AMG Coupe of old, but with a modern flair.  

Optional matte paints and blackline trims only add to the visual drama. It looks ready to pounce even when it’s standing still, a quality that few cars truly master.

With A V8 Shorn Of Its Glory

Let’s get this out of the way – no, there’s no V8 under the bonnet. Instead, you’ll find a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six paired with a mild-hybrid system.

While that’s a mouthful, the specs are respectable: 429bhp, 520Nm of torque, and an additional 22bhp from the electric motor for short bursts.

It’s an engine we’ve seen across the Mercedes lineup, tuned here to fit AMG’s vision. Mercedes claims a century sprint of 4.2 seconds.

There Is Calm Amidst The Chaos

The beauty of the CLE 53 lies in its adaptability. Around town, it’s a serene cruiser. The engine purrs quietly, and the cabin remains an oasis of calm.

It’s everything you’d want from a Mercedes coupe: refined, elegant, and comfortable.

But dial up the drive mode, and the beast awakens. The steering tightens, the suspension stiffens, and the engine note deepens.

Changes to the steel springs’ rates, damper loads and chassis kinematics have all been designed to sharpen responses, deliver more feedback and offer more control.

On winding roads, the CLE53 showcases confidence-inspiring grip. Yet, it never felt too eager or twitchy, maintaining a sense of control that encourages you to push harder.

But There’s Still The Ghost Of AMG Past

Where the CLE 53 struggles most is in its attempts to emulate the ferocity and visceral thrill of its V8 ancestors. Gone is the deep rumble that would stir your soul as you blip the throttle. Instead, the CLE53 offers a smooth, somewhat muted soundtrack. Functional, but far from evocative.

Despite power delivery lacking the necessary drama, the mid-range torque is sufficient for spirited driving. On tighter, twistier roads, the CLE 53 feels more at home. The rear-wheel steering system helps shrink the car’s footprint, allowing for sharper turn-ins and a livelier rear end.

However, on open roads, its 2,000kg kerb weight becomes apparent. It handles confidently but without the nimbleness or raw feedback of, say, a BMW M4.

At Least The Cabin’s Nice

Carbon fibre accents galore on the inside, alongside a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and luxurious leather appointments. The cabin tech is robust, featuring the latest MBUX system, though the myriad of options can feel overwhelming. You can even configure the instrument display to an uninterpretable mess if you wish.

The optional AMG sports seats look and feel the part, and rear passengers are quite comfortable too… if they don’t have legs.

A Coupe For Every Occasion

The Mercedes-AMG CLE53 isn’t trying to be a one-trick pony. It’s a car designed to cater to a wide audience, from those seeking comfort and luxury to drivers craving a taste of AMG performance.

Whether you’re cruising along the highway or carving up mountain roads, the CLE53 adapts to your mood.

Is it perfect? Not quite. But at least Mercedes is on the right path.

Technical Specifications

Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Coupe

Engine: 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line, Turbocharged
Drivetrain: All-Wheel Drive
Power: 330 kW (443 bhp)
Torque: 560 Nm
Gearbox: 9-speed AMG Speedshift TCT (A)
0-100km/h: 4.2 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 250 km/h
Fuel Economy: 9.9 km/litre (claimed)

Price: S$460,888 (Avantgarde)
Contact: Mercedes-Benz Singapore

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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This is a tried and tested formula from Mercedes – take a loud boisterous engine, throw it into one of their cars, and magic happens. In the past, this would have meant a guzzling V8 or V12, with lots of other performance trinkets that turn their cars into undercover street weapons.

However, due to tighter emission standards and the quest for cleaner cars, Mercedes has replaced this formula with smaller displacements. The new Mercedes CLS 53 for example now comes with a smaller turbocharged inline-6 banger.

It still retains its four-wheel drive system and other performance parts, but is it enough to still be worthy of its AMG title?

Downsized engine, upsized fun

While the M256 inline six-banger that resides within the Mercedes CLS 53 doesn’t provide the same rumbling sensation as a V8 would in past generations such as the C219 and C218 eras, it’s still a pretty competent engine in its own right.

Supporting its cause is a 48 V mild hybrid system combined with an integrated starter generator that eliminates any potential turbo lag. The result is a petrol-electric fusion that bestows the user with 435bhp and 520Nm of torque, and power is sent to all four wheels via a speedy 9G-Tronic AMG Speedshift MCT gearbox. Try saying that three times fast.

At full chat, the CLS 53 can rock the century sprint in just 4.5 seconds, putting it in contention with a healthy pool of supercars. It also has a 250km/h electronically limited top speed, though I sincerely doubt this limit would have any effect on anyone thinking of owning one.

Good ride quality is what one would come to expect from the tri-pointed star, and the CLS 53 delivers it in droves. Undulations in the road did not discomfit or jolt the car off tempo, even with Sport+ enabled. 

Yet, the CLS 53 was always ready to tackle a set of corners with agile potency should the occasion calls for it. Steering response can be adjusted to one’s liking, but even in Comfort it feels precise and engaging.

The AMG Ride Control+ air suspension comes with variable adjustable damping from the factory, and does a good job to arrest any body roll. Couple that with high-performance 4-pot ventilated disc brakes, and the CLS 53 really gives you the agility and confidence to wring round corners at enthusiastic speeds.

Like a wolf in sheep’s skin, the CLS 53 knows how to make a statement for itself on the roads.

Regal ensemble

The Mercedes CLS never had the same glamorous history other prominent Mercedes models enjoyed. Debuting with controversial styling, it did not fit in line with the design language of the time, where straight lines and boxy demeanours dominated the space.

But, this styling ended up becoming one of the CLS’s unique attributes, and the teardrop design traits still run true to this day. 

Its stretched appearance gives it regal presence on the roads. 20-inch alloy wheels do little to conceal the giant brakes sheathed underneath, and tasteful dashes of chrome and gloss black trim give the car added opulence.

Numerous vents are dotted around the bumpers, and these are all functional, helping to direct pockets of air throughout the car for better aerodynamics.

The Mercedes designers really did a fantastic job with the CLS 53, giving it a subtle but imposing ‘stealth wealth’ persona.

Conflicted Luxury

Step inside, and you are greeted with a smorgasbord of premium materials. The cabin screams luxury, and you feel pampered nestled in Nappa leather sport seats. Carbon fibre trim pieces remind you of what kind of car you are sitting in, and there are no outward protrusions that break up the otherwise smooth centre console. 

Physical HVAC controls are a feature I always prefer in cars. However, the MBUX infotainment system that comes as standard does leave more to be desired. You get a pair of 12.3-inch screens, and while the system works well when you are locked into one setting, navigating across different menus proves to be a challenging affair. The UI isn’t the most user-friendly, and you do tend to over-swipe even with careful finger inputs.

The haptic menu buttons on the steering wheel do not alleviate this concern either. It sometimes took a few attempts to dial in a setting, and there were numerous instances when I accidentally clicked something else instead. They do look pretty sleek, but perhaps physical buttons may have been a better ergonomic choice.

Otherwise, the steering wheel feels good in the hands, and the flat bottom allows for slightly more leg wiggle room. The Nappa leather here is perforated as well and provides ample grip for all driving situations. One feature that I do appreciate is the pair of circular dials located at the bottom of the wheel. Drive settings can be quickly adjusted on the fly, and this makes swapping modes a breeze on the CLS 53.

Should you want to listen to your own tunes instead of the car’s burble, a 13-speaker Burmester speaker array comes as standard. This thing packs a punch, delivering audio with amazing clarity. 

Give and take conveniences 

The rear door apertures are narrow, which can make ingress and egress a slight inconvenience. But, once you do manage to climb in, the rear is a cosy and plush ambience to be in. ISOFIX points are also on hand when a child seat is required. Legroom is decent, but the headroom in the back could pose an issue for taller folks, due to the tapered roofline that recedes towards the rear.

An automatic boot lid reveals 490 litres of available cargo space. While the boot aperture is a little on the small side, the space within is more than enough to lug anything from luggage to golf bags. If rear occupants aren’t a factor, you can even fold the rear seats down in a 40:20:40 configuration.

The CLS is pretty long, coming in just over 5 metres in length, but this doesn’t really hinder real-world practicality. You get a whole suite of sensors both front and back, which alerts you to any little obstacle that you might run into. A 360 camera with dynamic guidelines is also on hand to aid with parking manoeuvres.

Efficiency isn’t the CLS 53’s strong suit, and I clocked in an average of 8.4km/litre during my test. I will admit to some enthusiastic pedal pressing, but you wouldn’t have considered the Mercedes CLS 53 if you wanted an efficient car in the first place. 

Soul searching

If you were asking yourself whether this is still potent enough, performance-wise, to sit amongst the AMG family, the answer is a resounding yes.

But, having driven this, I kind of get the feeling that the quintessential AMG soul that the German marque is renowned for has become slightly diluted. What was once loud and unapologetic, has become more sensible as a result of conforming to forced standards.

Do not misunderstand, I do not hate the Mercedes CLS 53. I do in fact like it, and this is still a potent package which will turn heads as you drive by. 

Would a V8 and a bit more drama complete the package? Arguably. But, don’t let that detract you from the main picture, which is what a lovely thing the CLS 53 is.

Technical Specifications

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Mild Hybrid CLS53 AMG 4MATIC

Engine: 2,999cc 6-cylinder in-line, turbocharged

Power: 435bhp (combined)

Torque: 520Nm

Gearbox: 9G-Tronic (A) AMG Speedshift MCT

0-100km/h: 4.5 seconds

Top Speed: 250km/h (electronically limited)

Fuel Economy: 10.2km/litre (claimed)

Price: S$648,888 (including COE)

Contact: Cycle & Carriage Singapore

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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