Earlier this year news surfaced that Mercedes-Benz was planning to cull most of its coupe models.
Car and Driver reported in February that the German carmaker was planning to cut its current 33 body styled down to around 14, and the victims would include traditional two-door models as well as those four-door coupe SUVs who arguably don’t deserve that title in the first place.
But rather than just close the book on two-door coupes and convertibles, Mercedes-Benz is doing some consolidation, with the C-Class and E-Class two-door variants set to be replaced by a single product called the CLE.
That new model is set to be revealed on Wednesday, July 05, according to a teaser image that was placed on the firm’s Facebook page, which also gives us a peek at the car’s sleek new profile.
While official information on the Mercedes CLE is thin on the ground, British publication Autocar drove a prototype and reports that the vehicle will be sized between the C-Class and E-Class, while power will come from Merc’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre straight-six turbopetrols with mild-hybrid technology.
A four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, featuring a 90kW electric motor as per the new E-Class, is also set to feature.
According to a leaked EPA document, as reported by Car and Driver, the model range will consist of CLE 300 and CLE 400 4Matic all-wheel drive variants, and there will also be a Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic, presumably sporting the aforementioned six-pot engine.
Of course, the new Mercedes CLE will share its basic underpinnings as well as most of its interior electronics, including the latest MBUX operating system, with the E-Class and C-Class models.
The company is dividing its future produce-line-up into three categories: Entry Luxury, Core Luxury and Top-End Luxury.
There will be less of a focus on compact models, with widespread rumours pointing to the demise of the A-Class after this current generation. It appears that the GLC and GLE Coupe models, as well as some of the estate cars, could also face the axe after one more generation.
Earlier this year a senior executive at Mercedes told Car and Driver that the company simply didn’t need estate cars or under performing door-door models to boost volumes.
"The most essential elements of sustainable contemporary luxury cars are space and time… That's our number one priority – not another fancy body style, a model that only works in Europe, or one last stab at a dying segment,” he told the US publication.
Watch this space on Wednesday for all the official low-down on the upcoming Mercedes CLE.
IOL Motoring