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Born out of two distinct coupes, the CLE is an all new venture for Mercedes-Benz, and in its AMG form aims to bring back the glory days of Affalterbach

- Anagh Bhaskar

Mercedes-AMG has felt a bit lost in recent times. The name that defined tyre shredding torque, and Italian pure bred shaming speed has become very ‘politically correct’, especially if one takes the example of the latest C 63 - that ditches the holy V8 in favour of a full-fledged hybrid with a four-cylinder, that works well, but most AMG fanboys (me included) would say that it lacks a soul. But Mercedes is a brand that listens, they have been making cars for over a century and successfully, and while AMG’s German rivals dish out odd-looking but brilliant driving performance machines, the brand has decided to recover some of its former glory with the CLE 53 Coupe.

Basically, this is a new segment from Mercedes-Benz, merging the coupe bodystyles of the compact C-Class and the luxury of the larger E-Class. And while the CLE debuted in India in the form of the CLE 300 Cabriolet, that is a bit of a flamboyant statement, soft top, four-pot and a whole lot of vibes. The AMG version however is much more serious. Now this is a beautiful car, I might go as far as saying that this for me is the best-looking car from the brand on sale here. Its sleek, the front carries the massive AMG grille, aggressive, flanked by elongated LED headlamps, and a fair bit of aero elements. But by far, the best angle to view the CLE 53 is from the sides or the rear three-quarters, it is smooth, flowing, muscular, and truly perfect. The side blades, along with the 20inch AMG black alloys with red brake callipers, frameless doors blend so well with the longish bonnet and the roofline, and so traditionally AMG. The CLE 53 does define its purpose, albeit calmly, while the widened track (58mm at front, 75mm at rear) compared to the regular CLE ensures that its performance claims are visible in the skin.