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Driving report: Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupé: the golden mean

Driving report: Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupé: the golden mean

If the Mercedes-AMG GLE S 63 is too brute for you, the AMG GLE 53 is an alternative that has gained in agility with the facelift.

When it comes to the facelift of the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupé, the first thing that catches the eye is the hefty increase in price: at 112,496.65 euros, the SUV is significantly more expensive than before. But the pure arithmetic only represents half the truth: With one hand, Affalterbacher Tuningschmiede digs deeper into the customer’s pocket with the other hand, the dynamics specialists also share and donate a lot more equipment as standard. So now extras such as leather interior, the panoramic glass roof, the Burmester sound system, the multi-beam LED light, a blind spot warning device are on board ex works. However, other details such as the ventilated air-conditioned seats and memory package for saving the settings should actually be a matter of course for such a car, which was not a special offer even before the facelift. “We try to proactively fulfill the wishes of the customers. In doing so, we will be guided by previous demand,” explains product manager Dmitrij Solodenko, referring to the additional equipment value of 15 percent.

With the facelift, the power SUV also gets a few cosmetic details. Including a new front apron with modified daytime running lights and new taillights. In addition, the front panel now also bears the AMG logo together with the Mercedes star. This satisfies the chronicler’s duty in terms of optics. With a Mercedes-AMG, regardless of whether it’s an athlete on stilts or not, it’s primarily about the dynamics. One thing quickly becomes clear: regardless of the asking price, the refreshed GLE 53 Coupé delivers on the road – and quite impressively so. With the optional roll stabilization, the front end remains fairly stable even in fast corners, both when turning in and when accelerating out of the apex, which is a deceptive security, since the laws of physics are still valid.

Especially since the GLE 53, weighing 2,375 kilograms, is more of a battleship than a speedboat. However, the Affalterbach engineers gloss over this component of the agility equation quite successfully. And that despite the fact that the 53er, in contrast to the big brother 63 S, does not have a limited-slip differential on the rear axle. Depending on the driving situation, the all-wheel drive distributes the drive power between the front and rear axles at lightning speed and, supported by wheel-selective torque vectoring via braking interventions, maneuvers the SUV surprisingly nimbly around corners. That’s why the weaker of the two GLE-AMGs is uncomplicated and fast on the road without wet palms.

Depending on the application, you can choose between seven driving programs (five for roads and two off-road). The settings range from smooth and sandy to sport plus. Basically, the ground clearance of the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 when driving in Comfort is identical to that of the other Mercedes-GLE models. At a speed of 140 km/h or in the two dynamic driving modes Sport and Sport plus, the air springs buckle by ten millimeters. In the off-road programs, on the other hand, the chassis stretches by 5.5 centimetres. As is now common with all models from the Mercedes in-house tuner, the extensive fine-tuning options are a lot of fun for every Playstation fan.

The tuning of the chassis is also successful. In comfort mode, long distances can be covered in a relaxed manner. In the dynamic driving programs, the suspension is significantly firmer, but even in Sport Plus it is not so brutally hard that you have to worry about the condition of the intervertebral discs. The fact that the sound of the exhaust system then changes from crisp and present to rumbling and dominant is something you have to accept for better or worse with an AMG. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupé is a successful car because it’s well-balanced: the GLE hits the sweet spot between the Mercedes GLE 450 and the powerhouse AMG GLE 63 S.

The combination of the well-known six-cylinder with 320 kW / 435 hp and a 48-volt mild hybridization via an integrated starter generator acts smoothly in conjunction with the nine-speed automatic transmission. With the help of a sophisticated boost strategy that uses the electric power of 15 kW / 22 hp and 200 Newton meters in a targeted manner, the technicians could even afford to enlarge the turbocharger and thus increase the maximum torque of the combustion engine from 520 to 560 Nm. The facelift version of the GLE 53 is 0.3 seconds faster than before when sprinting from zero to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. At full acceleration, 600 Nm are available for 30 seconds. Nevertheless, the electronics drop the anchor at 250 km/h. Mercedes specifies the consumption as 10.5 l/100 km.

So that you can also feel the AMG world in the interior, the MBUX infotainment system still offers some special graphics, as known from other models from the tuning company. Some representations are a bit spacy, but so everyone can find the right setting according to their taste. For the rest, the GLE 53 offers the well-known and well-made Mercedes ambience, except that, for example, the AMG crest flashes on the sports seats with the accentuated cheeks. So if you want to be sportier than in the Mercedes GLE 450, but not quite as uncompromising as in the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, you can look around at the Mercedes dealer from July, but you should have at least 112,496.65 euros ready.

Source: Stern

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