What's the difference?
Freedom of choice has been the focus for the luxury car industry for more than a decade. Buyers were free to choose from a seemingly endless amount of variations and bodystyles to suit their taste and lifestyle.
It gave birth to the ‘four-door coupe’ then the ‘SUV coupe’ and so many more. But now it seems car makers have reached their limit, as evidenced by Mercedes-Benz’s newest offering - the CLE Coupe and Cabriolet.
While technically a new addition to the range, the CLE actually replaces not one existing model, but two. The CLE will fill the gap left by both the C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe, allowing the German brand to simplify its line-up (ever so slightly).
So, what is the CLE Coupe and how will it live up to expectations of two different car buyers? Read on to find out…
The Polestar 2 was one of the first electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia to break through to the mainstream, however it has always been relegated to the Tesla Model 3’s shadow.
As a result Polestar is constantly playing catch up, releasing update after update for this premium-pushing electric liftback. The most notable was a major mid-life update in 2024.
Two years after this, Polestar has just rolled out the 2026 model year (MY26) update which introduces a range of subtle changes, largely under the surface.
It comes as Polestar is now introducing newer models, there’s mounting pressure from legacy carmakers who are only now catching up to EV tech, and Australians are moving away from buying passenger cars to SUVs.
Has this latest update improved the appeal? Read on to find out.
The CLE Coupe really feels like a car of the times. As the electric vehicle market continues to suck in resources, the days of endless variants and body styles is going to wane. But the truth is the CLE does a nice job of filling the demands that both previous C-Class Coupe and E-Class Coupe buyers are looking for.
It’s a stylish model with plenty of technology on the inside, so it should appeal to those who want something refined and elegant for their lifestyle. It has a hint of sportiness on road, without being overtly dynamic or uncomfortable; although Mercedes-AMG will cater to those buyers soon enough. And it offers the kind of space inside that buyers of both models will find acceptable (as long as they don’t have to climb into the back regularly).
The biggest challenge will be convincing C-Class customers to take the big jump up in price over the model it replaces, while at the same time convincing E-Class buyers that this is still something special and different given its similarities to the old model.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
This latest update for the Polestar 2 is lovely, but driving the original is a reminder of how solid this car has always been if you overlook the inherent impracticalities of being an EV on a combustion-engine platform.
The fact you still get steady flow of over-the-air software updates bringing new features, plus you can now upgrade to the new Qualcomm processor chip, saving some coin and getting a second-hand model that’s a couple of years old isn’t a bad option at all.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.