TimInCA

Saw this article today. Looks like a unified C/E coupe/cabriolet for 2023 model year.

https://www.autoblog.com/2021/06/29/...class-e-class/

The_Judge

Smaller with a four-banger? I don't think so.

E55Greasemonkey

They all looked the same anyways.

TimInCA

Will be interesting to see the price. I bet it will be closer to E-series coupe/cab vs C-Series. Just like BMW did with 8 series which is essentially a 6 series replacement. Price was SIGNIFICANTLY jacked up!

TennesseeZ4

That falls in line with the commentary after the dealer meetings in spring of 2020; they announced the end of the S Class convertible and discussed the end of the C & E class coupe and cabriolet. The dealers all shared the feeling that there are just too many models in the line and some needed to be reduced. At that time, they were proposing ending the C class in 2021, so now it appears certain that we may have the last of the E class cabs; I intend to enjoy mine for a long while.

TimInCA

Yea, it also doesn't help that the interiors across the model line are essentially all looking the same, with some material/quality differences as you go up the line. I haven't sat in the new C class yet, but from the pictures it essentially looks like a mini-S class inside and out! I did go to a focus group 2 years ago and saw what turned into the EQS and the 2022 S-Class. Everyone commented that the EQS was more inline with E-class sizing. Not sure if they made changes on the final product, but the S-class looks essentially identical from my recollection what I saw 2 years ago. Guess for those that have the latest gen E Coupe/Cab will have collectors items!

TennesseeZ4

From a posting I did last year:

Several auto journals are citing that the C, E, and S class coupe and cabriolets are being discontinued in the U.S., has anyone discussed this with their dealer? I will be at my dealer tomorrow and will be discussing with them.

Interesting articles:
:https://www.benzinsider.com/2020/07/...en-car-models/

https://www.autoweek.com/news/luxury...-convertibles/

TimInCA

Yep ... gotta make room for the dozens of SUV variants instead! Wonder when the SUV craze will end?

ChrisB

I have not been following the progression of this - just heard from a salesperson at MB that the S Class Coupe & Cabriolet were discontinued and another Cabriolet will also be discontinued.
Withe the S Cabriolet gone … don’t you think they will keep the E Class Cabriolet?
The C Class is for younger drivers …
The roadsters are for a select group who want to travel in groups of 2 …
I think they will keep the E Class cabriolet. It fits a certain demographic.

Elvisfan0108

what’s your definition of younger drivers?

Mikey53

why is the C Class for “ younger drivers?”

teksurv

My E coupe is about as big a car as I'd want. My W204 was the perfect size. I'm middle aged

TimInCA

Nope. Go back and read the linked article!

splunge

Assuming there will be a CLE for 2023 , my guess is that it will be much closer to the existing E class than the C class in terms of design and quality and therefore not a bad compromise . In effect it will be replacing all 3 models C,E and S , with still the possibility of a 6-cylinder option . To me this is good news compared to the total demise of 4 passenger coupe/convertibles .

W205C43PFL

Will be interesting (since it is a whole new model and generation) to see if they decide to adapt the interior with the one horizontal driver screen and one vertical infotainment screen first found in the new S-Class and now the new C-Class or they will give us back the buttons. I really like the current C238 timeless interior design, I rather they put that in but I don't know if I am asking for too much although I don't personally hate the new interior design language of the said cars.

TennesseeZ4

Looking at the 'spy' photos, IMO the new CLE will be closer to the CLK / A207 platform structure. I am meeting with a friend this week who is a MB dealer, and will query him on what the dealers perspective is. But the bottom line, really is the bottom line, and that is that SUV / EV are moving into the mainstream which had been occupied by the C, E, and to a degree the S class cars. The cabriolets and the coupes are even a niche within that spectrum and are one of the reasons that the dealers requested MB revisit the diversity in the product line. As they say in the news, stay tuned, changes are coming.

ChrisB

Built to be bit sportier … although not much deference in size.

jester1

I wanted to order an E53 coupe the end of January.No build slot was available till the end of April.

I was told that it would be built in July,shipped in August,& arrive in US port September.It had to go through as a '22 model.

Just heard from the dealer .My order has been yellow-lighted (paused) due to ongoing parts shortage.
It's not just semi-conductor chips.The factory doesn't even have enough tires to fill orders.
My order is the only one that the dealer managed to get submitted.
I was asked if I wanted to start dropping ordered options to see if part availability would get the order to re-activate.I said no.

Regardless,The dealer's best guess on when Mercedes would authorize release of a '22 model to the dealer is November.
Looks like it will be sitting in storage for a long time.

TimInCA

Similar for me. Ordered a 21 E450 Cabriolet and was converted to a 22 model year unit. No word on when it will actually be built. Dealer hasn't informed me that any particular parts / options are holding up the order. I've looked again and there really aren't any other good options out there. BMW 4 Series convertible is smaller and cheaper and I can't STAND the new beaver grille and 8 Series is a HUGE jump in price when similarly configured. No other good options from Audi and the Lexus LC convertible is also WAY overpriced for what it is. I'd almost consider a Corvette Convertible but dealers are GOUGING pricing on them beyond the E450 Cab, so for me the wait continues. Summer will be over by the time I get the vehicle, but fortunately I'm in So Cal, so there will be opportunities to go topless come late fall/winter! 😎

Mikey53

Perfect for us “sporty” old cogers!

TennesseeZ4

Even after a few glasses of wine, my Mercedes dealer friend would not confirm or deny the C and E class coupe and cab are to be discontinued. He did say that at the moment, he has one E class cab coming in for stock, and none confirmed beyond that in the order slots that the dealership had placed. Indeed, after searching all of the Mercedes dealers in Tennessee, at the moment there is one C class cabriolet in inventory, that's it. Doing a national search in CarGuru, they show thirteen E class cabs in dealer inventory at this moment.

After going through the litany of the scarcity of chips, tires, and various other parts, throwing the impact of Covid on production rates, et al., he did note that the resurrection of the CLE is a possibility, something akin to the A207 size replacing both C & E class models. His best guess is that the '22 C & E coupes and cabs will be very limited in production scheduling, and dealers will be charging a premium for the ones that they do have in inventory, not knowing if there will be a significant supply forthcoming.

Surging sales of the SUVs, lagging sales of coupes and cabs, MB investment in EQ platforms, and a very strong focus on profitability of each model is driving the overall decision by MB. His advice; if you have an E cab or coupe, and enjoy them, hang on to them.

TPS Reports

I just heard from my dealer and my build slot was only started about a month or so ago for the 2022 E450 coupe and it is showing an Oct 21 delivery to the dealer. He said he thinks it wasn't as delayed as some slots already in line due to previous production issues. We'll see. Fingers crossed!