After revealing the coupe version late last year, Mercedes-AMG has now taken the covers off the CLE 53 4Matic+ Cabriolet.
It has taken Mercedes-Benz’s replacement for the old C-Class and E-Class convertibles and given it more power, courtesy of a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, but the 53 nameplate suggests there’s an even hotter version to come.
Mercedes-Benz Australia has yet to confirm local launch timing.
The droptop shares its upgraded M256M engine with the CLE 53 Coupe, capable of delivering 330kW of power and 560Nm of torque (600Nm with 10-second overboost).
The 0-100km/h time is a claimed 4.4 seconds, or 4.2 seconds using the Race Start function available in the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package.
The engine is paired with an integrated starter generator that can briefly provide an additional 17kW of power and 205Nm of torque, and also feeds the car’s 48-volt electrical system.
Drive is sent to all four wheels through Mercedes-AMG’s Speedshift TCT 9G transmission, designed for short shift times and a quick response with its double-declutch function.
It features Mercedes-AMG’s Ride Control steel spring suspension with adaptive damping, as well as standard rear-axle steering that can operate with a maximum steering angle of 2.5 degrees.
The rear wheels turn opposite to the front to help with low-speed manoeuvrability, while at speeds above 100km/h the rear wheels turn up to 0.7 degrees in the same direction as the front wheels to improve stability.
Stopping is handled with 370mm perforated, internally ventilated front discs with four-piston fixed calipers, as well as 360mm internally ventilated rear discs with single-piston floating calipers.
On the surface, the Cabriolet retains Mercedes-AMG’s signature grille, along with a so-called ‘A-Wing’ front skirt with a large air intake designed for increased air flow.
Down the sides it features flared front and rear wheel arches over 19-inch wheels (20s are optional), while track width is 58mm and 75mm wider in the front and rear respectively over the non-AMG version.
The Cabriolet’s rear incorporates two-part LED lights connected by a dark-red element across the boot, two exhaust outlets on each side, and a lip spoiler on the boot lid.
The optional AMG Styling package adds flics on the front and rear skirts, while AMG Night and AMG Carbon packages are also available for extra differentiation.
Inside, there’s a free-standing 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a portrait-oriented 11.9-inch touchscreen, the latter of which can tilt from 15 to 40 degrees to avoid light reflections when the roof is down.
The upper section of the dashboard, top edges of the doors, and the soft-top cover panel are all upholstered in a “black Nappa leather look”, while the entire passenger compartment is edged in chrome.
Included as standard are Artico leatherette and Microcut microfibre upholstery, red seatbelts and carbon trim elements, while AMG performance seats and various leather and Nappa leather upholstery options are also available.
Down back, there’s 285-375L of boot space, depending on the roof position. The rear seats split and fold 60:40.
The Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe and Cabriolet rival the likes of the BMW M440i and Audi S5. They’re expected to be followed by hotter CLE 63 models, which will do battle with the BMW M4 and Audi RS5.
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