The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Will Bridge the Gap From C-Class to E-Class

• A new Mercedes is on its way.
• It'll be called the CLE, and it will be the brand's smallest two-door.
• It will bridge the gap between the C-Class and E-Class and offer a range of powertrain options.

A new coupe and convertible in 2024 might seem like a bold move, especially with buyers slowly switching their focus toward SUVs and EVs. That said, there are still those who prefer the long, low and wide silhouettes offered by personal luxury coupes. The BMW 4 Series is still here, and Audi sells the A5, so even though Mercedes might be taking a gamble on the two-door body style, there's room in the market for the eventual CLE.

The CLE will be built on the same platform as the recently redesigned C-Class, which means it will more than likely feature the same powertrains. That means a 255-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine will serve as the base engine, while rear-wheel drive will come as standard and 4Matic all-wheel drive will be an optional extra.

We also expect the CLE to feature AMG-tuned performance models, likely to be named the CLE 43 AMG and CLE 63 AMG. That doesn't mean they'll bring back the V8, though. These models will still be powered by pumped-up four-cylinder engines and augmented via a battery pack hidden somewhere in the floor and electric motors.

Expect the interior to largely mirror what we've seen from the current C-Class. Mercedes has adopted a sort of copy-and-paste approach to interiors lately, allowing the S-Class design to trickle down into the C-Class, the recently redesigned GLC, the SL models and, well, practically every other new Mercedes on the market. It's a well-executed interior space that we enjoy spending time in, but after seeing it so many times in a row, it might not feel as special or as novel as we'd like.

Pricing and availability are details that are still under wraps, but a look at the old C-Class coupe's pricing structure can help give us an educated guess. The base coupe started at $48,900 and went all the way up to just over $70,000 for the C 63 AMG. We expect the CLE to be slightly bigger and therefore pricier than the last C-Class coupe, and a price of around $53,000 wouldn't surprise us when the CLE goes on sale for the 2024 model year.

Edmunds says

Is a new coupe from Mercedes a good idea, or should the automaker just give up on the segment entirely?