Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé, mild hybrid light AMG
The boys at Affalterbach aren’t picky when it comes to tackling a car. (Almost) everything with a Mercedes-star at the front is dipped in the typical AMG-sauce. And trust us, from time to time weird creations appear. From a supercar-bullying A 45 S to the blue angular GLB 35. The newest one to the list is an SUV -but also a Coupé- with a mild hybrid and numbers to call it a “light-version”.
A 3.0-liter AMG
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé -its full name (!)- pours its power out of a 3.0-liter six-in-line combined with a mild-hybrid system. The 3.0-liter produces 435 hp and 520 Nm of torque, while the hybrid trows in an extra 22 hp. This comes from a starter-alternator of 48 volts, in between the engine and 9-speed automatic SPEEDSHIFT-gearbox, that kicks in 250 Nm while accelerating. That’s not all because the electric compressor should delete the turbo-lag and sharpen the throttle response.
This boy weighs in at a hefty 2,2 tons but even then 0 to 100 km/h is dealt within 5,8 seconds and it keeps pulling until you hit a very German limited 250 km/h. This GLE 53 makes it possible to humiliate heaps of hot hatches in a small drag race but it’s more than only the “stoplight sprinter”, you probably don’t believe me. In Sport and Sport+, the car squats -springs dropping down- for the best sprint, burbles like a master (definitely in Sport+), shifts fast with the peddles and trows in minimal overhang in the bends. Because of this, the car feels smaller and you have more confidence in your own and the car’s talent. Please don’t forget the car’s weight while braking for the corner. Otherwise you might get yourself in quite the mess. On the other side of the scale are some offroad settings which give the GLE a maximum ground clearance and keeps the revs and speed low while the car can enjoy optimal grip and eats sand in the Belgium dunes.
In between those settings you find the normal mode. The one you will use the most. The car turns into a long-distance cruiser with all the bells and whistles. Driver assistance systems, adaptive cruise control, lane assist and an energizing program when you need some more… energy (?). In the normal setting, the car gives a sufficient amount of comfort but you still can’t compare it to last week’s Range Rover. For that, the rims are just a little bit too big and the seats a tad too firm. A big asset is the average consumption, we could get by with 10,4 liter per 100 km and that’s pretty close to the 9,3l/100km Mercedes is claiming with those 435 horses.
Big, bigger, not biggest
Big? Yes, at 5 meters long, more than 2 meters wide and 1,73 meters high it’s quite big. At the front, this AMG-light is an exact copy of the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 or is it the other way around? An impressive Panamericana-grill surrounded by small headlights with beautiful LED-day running lights. Small? Certainly, in a face-off the aggressive front bumper with immense (sometimes fake) air intakes. Moving to the side and you see the first glimpse of the coupé-body style. I’m not the biggest fan of those cars, can you tell? But (!), this GLE has touched some sensitive buttons. Probably, the combination of the Designo Diamant white color with those awesome, big (22-inch), fancy, black AMG-rims. Kudos to the person who spec-ed this car.
At the back, you are greeted by 4 round -but fake- exhaust tips. Besides that, a small rear window and a huge horizontal white surface take the rest of the attention at the back. The little spoiler at the back could use a black or carbon tint. The back does reveal a problem. The Coupé-shape ensures a steeply sloping roofline that continues to the end of the car. But more on that later.
Sporty Luxury
Jumping on the step, dropping your ass into the seats and looking at that fine AMG-steering wheel. A great feeling in your hands and then the awesome selector buttons! Hail to the geek deep inside of us. Behind our favorite wheel: fine shifting peddles and the typical Mercedes digital screens (don’t believe us? Here’s the same from the CLA 250e, GLA 45 S and some E’s) and a head-up display. I keep making the same comment and will always keep making that comment, being: “it takes a while of getting used to, but when you finally get the hang of it, it works like a charm and it’s ultra adaptable." Even for an old bloke like myself.
The seats are from the “heated, cooled, electric and memoried”-kind, but -if we nitpick- could use that little bit more comfort. Don’t get us wrong, it’s good but it ain’t mindblowing good. But you could argue it’s an AMG and you’re right. So forget what we told you there. Then on with the rest of the interior. Being Mercedes, being AMG and being a car higher on the pricelist, the car can enjoy great quality, a clear 360-degree camera and carbon touches everywhere.
It ain’t all perfect in our Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé. There are three things I wasn’t convinced about. The first: thanks to the sloping roofline, you are hitting your head whilst getting out of the back of the car for like 90% of the time. The second: again thanks to the Coupé-style: you have a deep booth space but the height is limited and that gives a false sense of space. Still the booth swallows 655 liters.
And our last “problem” -the problem of the lady of the house- is the fact the car is pretty high and getting the child seat onto the base -that is installed on the Isofix- isn’t easy for smaller people.
Spending some money
The cheapest Mercedes GLE Coupé (in Belgium) will set you back 91.000 euros. The AMG-light adds 18.000 euros to start with. You want the color, the rims, the carbon in the interior, … and it all comes down to almost 125.000 euros. For me, it’s the sweet point in power. You can drive casual and you can get somewhere very fast if needed. Also I could live with the average consumption and the Coupé-styled exterior. So would I pop by a dealer for this one? Yes.
