Mercedes-AMG CLE 53

FIRST DRIVE Performance version of sleek new coupé is put through its paces

- Stuart Gallagher

Running costs 29.4mpg (official) £97 fill-up

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.2 seconds/155mph

UNLIKE the regular Mercedes CLE, the AMG version replaces one car rather than two: the previous-generation AMG C 63 Coupé. Despite being the masters at filling every niche, Mercedes didn't think there was enough of market for an E 63 Coupé. A peculiar decision considering it was happy to apply the full AMG treatment to various SUVS and even the S-Class limousine.

The CLE 53 4MATIC+ might have had some detailed attention from those based in AMG's Affaltabach HQ, but the core AMG fans will question the new car's provenance and credentials. As, for that matter, do we.

It certainly looks like a full-blooded AMG model. Its wider front and rear arches are there for both aesthetic and functional reasons, so the car's wider tracks can be incorporated into the design. There's also a specific AMG grille with large openings for improved cooling, and a rear diffuser that sits beneath a boot lid spoiler. The look is completed by a set of 20-inch wheels.

A great deal of work has gone on beneath the CLE 53's body, too. Much of this hits the mark, but there's one sizeable component that doesn't. And that's where we'll start, because the 3.0-litre straight-six engine is the car's Achilles' heel.