2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé(CBU) Review

The Coupe market has remained consistently popular in recent years, with users seeking both sporty appearances and daily practicality. Mercedes-Benz's newly launched 2024 CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé aims to meet these niche demands. As a CBU imported model, it focuses on PHEV performance, luxurious configurations, and all-wheel drive as its core selling points, leading many consumers to wonder whether it can balance sportiness with everyday usability. This review will explore its static design, space practicality, and dynamic driving performance to help readers determine if it fits their needs.

In terms of appearance, the CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé continues with Mercedes-Benz's family design language, featuring smooth and muscular lines overall. The front face adopts a large shield-shaped grille, adorned with a starry lattice design inside, paired with sharp LED headlight clusters on both sides, offering high recognizability. The side of the body features the iconic coupe-style fastback design, with a waistline running from the front fenders to the rear, complementing the 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels to enhance its sporty vibe. At the rear, the LED taillight clusters use a horizontal layout with ring-shaped lighting elements inside, creating a striking visual effect when lit; the dual-exhaust layout below further emphasizes its performance-oriented positioning.

Once inside, the interior adopts Mercedes-Benz's latest family design style, primarily using black soft-touch materials accented with silver trims, presenting a texture fitting for a luxury coupe. The center console is equipped with an 11.9-inch floating touchscreen, featuring the MBUX intelligent interaction system that supports voice control and smartphone connectivity, with smooth operational performance. The instrument cluster consists of a 12.3-inch fully digital display, providing clear visuals and displaying navigation, vehicle status, and other information. A standard HUD (Head-Up Display) system reduces the need to divert attention while driving. The front seats are electrically adjustable with heating, ventilation, and memory functions, offering good support and comfort for occupants; the rear features two independent seats, and in terms of space, passengers standing at 175cm will have approximately one finger's width of headroom and two fingers' worth of legroom when seated, suitable for short trips. The trunk has a 420L capacity, meeting storage needs for daily commutes or short trips, while the rear seats can fold down in a 60:40 ratio to expand storage space.

In terms of powertrain, the vehicle features a 2.0T turbocharged engine combined with an electric motor forming a PHEV system. The engine delivers a maximum horsepower of 261.7 PS, maximum power of 190 kW, and peak torque of 400 N·m. The electric motor provides a maximum horsepower of 23 PS and a peak torque of 205 N·m. The power system is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission and adopts an all-wheel-drive system. During actual driving, the default mode provides a light start, with the electric motor assisting to deliver swift power response at low RPMs; pressing the accelerator deeply leads to a smooth engine engagement, producing linear acceleration. The official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 6.2 seconds, with adequate power reserves for overtaking. When switched to Sport mode, throttle sensitivity increases, and the transmission shift logic becomes more aggressive, offering a more direct driving response.

In terms of handling, the steering wheel delivers precise control with minimal play and clear directional accuracy. The suspension system employs front and rear multi-link independent suspension, with a sporty tuning that effectively filters road bumps. When passing speed bumps or uneven road surfaces, the vehicle maintains a stable posture without noticeable unnecessary bouncing. During cornering, the body roll is well-controlled, and the all-wheel-drive system provides excellent traction, ensuring strong stability while driving. In terms of fuel consumption, under everyday commuting conditions (approximately 60% urban roads), the combined fuel consumption is around 6.8L per 100 km. As a PHEV model, it demonstrates better fuel economy compared to its purely fuel-powered coupe counterparts in the same class.

In terms of driving comfort, the vehicle performs well in noise control, with wind noise and tire noise not being obvious during high-speed driving; the seats balance wrap-around and support, making long drives less tiring. Equipped with the Burmester 17-speaker audio system, it delivers excellent sound quality, enhancing the driving experience. For safety features, the car comes standard with seven airbags, lane departure warning, active braking, ACC adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree surround view system, providing comprehensive safety assurance.

Overall, the core advantages of the 2024 CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé lie in the fuel economy of the PHEV powertrain, luxurious interior features, and decent handling performance. Compared to its rival, the BMW 4 Series Coupe, it holds advantages in the hybrid power system and some comfort configurations, though its price is slightly higher. This car is suitable for consumers who value luxury quality, seek smooth power delivery, and have a certain preference for sporty characteristics, especially young families or individual users who primarily commute daily and occasionally go on short trips.

On the whole, the CLE 300 4MATIC Coupé achieves the standard of a luxury coupe in terms of design, configuration, and driving performance. The PHEV powertrain balances performance and fuel efficiency, making it a well-rounded model. For consumers with a sufficient budget, a preference for the Mercedes-Benz brand, and a need for practicality, it is worth considering.