• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, August 11, 2025

You are more likely to see marketing about Mercedes-Benz's return to New York Fashion Week in September rather than a dedicated TV spot for the AMG CLE 53 Coupe.  

But that’s OK, because the car basically sells itself. I received countless thumbs-up during my week behind the wheel, along with a couple of strangers who wandered up with big smiles on their faces to tell me how much they loved “my” car. 

It’s hard to miss in “Sun Yellow,” which made keeping my speed in check this week all the more important. 

Not all engines are created equal, and this vehicle’s 443 horsepower, with 413 pound-feet of torque, definitely shows off its formidable chops. It’s enough to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds.

While I enjoyed putting it into Sport+ mode and gunning it, I was also mindful to use adaptive cruise to keep myself in check, lest I get a speeding ticket. It would not be hard to do in this car. 

The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Coupe features the AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with hybrid assist.

The "AMG-enhanced" designation indicates that the engine has been specifically tuned and modified by Mercedes-AMG for increased performance. The "hybrid assist" refers to the EQ Boost system, an integrated starter-generator that provides a boost of up to 21 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. 

Safety features include standard automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and a driver-attention monitor. Adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring are optional.

Interestingly, the vehicle will initiate automatic lane changing while in adaptive cruise, but hands must stay on the flat-bottom steering wheel. It feels like the technology is almost there for hand-free driving in this model, although it isn’t equipped with “Drive Pilot,” the automaker’s first Level 3 autonomous driving system deployed in the U.S.

Similar to the Lincoln Navigator, while in park, drivers can view how-to videos on the 11.9-inch infotainment display, which stretches from the center console up to a pod of three air vents atop the dashboard. Subjects include active brake assist, active parking assist and hands-free cargo access.

The 12.3-inch display, nestled ahead of the steering wheel, includes the "Efficient Driving Assist" or "ECO Assist" system, which uses a star rating to provide an overall assessment of your driving style from an efficiency perspective. 

The system begins with five empty stars. As you drive efficiently, these stars will progressively fill, one after another, indicating improvements in your fuel consumption and energy efficiency. When all five stars are filled, a glowing background will appear, signifying that you are driving in a highly efficient manner. 

The interior design is as striking as the exterior. Beautiful Nappa black leather seats are stitched with yellow thread that matches the exterior color. 

The wood trim is especially eye-catching.  It’s Fineline Anthracite, which is characterized by a dark, high-gloss, and finely grained wood with a subtle anthracite (dark gray-brown) color. You will only find it in luxury models from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. 

Such power and beauty is not without expense. The starting price is $74,300, while the model I drove came in at $89,590, including $2,590 for the aforementioned leather seats, $2,600 for AMG cross-spoke foraged wheels, $3,250 for the AMG performance seat package (which are more aggressively bolstered bucket front seats) and $1,150 for destination and handling. 

Back to Fashion Week: The newly renovated dealership in Hell's Kitchen will host the biannual showcase of emerging designers on Sept. 1. I’d suggest checking out the CLE 53 while you are there, it has as much star power as any supermodel.