The Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe will occupy the spot in the German automaker's lineup currently for the two-door versions of the C-Class and E-Class. These spy shots catch the sporty, upcoming model lapping the Nürburgring.
The CLE has a roughly oval-shaped grille with slim headlights at an angle on each side of the vehicle's face. The camouflage hides the specific details, but there appears to be a narrow opening in the lower fascia.
Gallery: Mercedes CLE Coupe Spy Photos
The vehicle has a sleek profile with an arching roofline and a very short rear deck. There appears to be a sharp crease that runs diagonally upward on the rear door.
From the back, you can see the CLE has a proper trunk, rather than a hatchback. The taillights consist of an arch pointing downward. The rear bumper hides the exhaust pipes.
The CLE-Class rides on the MRA-2 platform that's also underneath the new C-Class. This means that the two models can share powertrains. The offerings could even include the electrified 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that's going into the new AMG C63. Early indications point to this mill providing a total output of 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and 553 pound-feet (750 Newton-meters) of torque.
We don't yet have images inside the CLE-Class. The relationship with the C-Class means that the coupe might borrow tech from the new sedan. This would mean large screens for the instruments and infotainment system.
In addition to this hardtop coupe, previous spy shots show a convertible variant of the CLE-Class under development. It replaces the droptop versions of the C- and E-Class. A rumor from 2020 suggested the possibility of a shooting brake version, but we haven't seen any spy shots of it yet.
Mercedes isn't yet saying when the CLE-Class debuts. The best guess right now is that the unveiling should be before the end of 2022. Then, the model go on sale in the first half of 2023. From there, additional variants like the AMG models would slowly join the range.
