PLUG-IN PICK(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 34

Our pick of the Mercedes CLE Coupe range is this 300 e Plug-in Hybrid version. As well as suburban EV capability, it gains wafty rear air suspension and offers a luxurious turn of pace.

Background word count: 217

What kind of engine might work best with an old-school premium executive mid-sized coupe? Mercedes has tried quite a few over the many years it has made such a thing, assembling a heritage of two-door trendsetters stretching right back to the '50s. During this century's second decade, the brand was represented in this niche segment by the C205-era C-Class Coupe and the C238-era E-Class Coupe, both of which, interestingly, were most favoured by customers in their diesel guises. In late 2023, when the CLE Coupe was introduced to replace both of these models, Mercedes was needing to reduce its reliance on diesel sales and so, to sell alongside black pump-fuelled variants, it introduced a petrol powerplant it thought might suit some Coupe customers rather better. Hence the arrival of this model, the CLE 300 e Plug-in Hybrid. You might worry about some of the issues that adding PHEV tech to a car of this kind might create. You don't want extra weight to spoil agile coupe handling. You don't want reduced boot space to minimise your sports two-door's capacity for grand touring. And a Mercedes coupe is already expensive enough without adding the extra cost of PHEV tech to the asking price. Can this CLE 300 e still succeed in the face of such odds? Let's see.