The 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE has received the AMG treatment and this is the GLE 53 4Matic+. As always, the treatment begins with the looks.
Speaking of which, there is the AMG-specific radiator grille with 15 vertical strips, AMG bumpers front & rear, and 20-inch light alloy wheels. Buyers also get to choose from 7 rim variants measuring 20 to 22 inch. The quad chrome-tipped tailpipes at the rear looks tasteful.
The optional AMG Night Package includes heat-insulating, dark tinted windows, front splitter, trim elements in the front apron and outer air inlets, mirror covers, window frames, roof railing, diffuser and tailpipe trim in refined black.
Interiors of the GLE 53 get generous red contrast stitching, AMG Performance steering wheel with red 12-o’clock marking, seats with Artico man-made leather upholstery, black roof liner, and brushed aluminium accents. Rest of the features have been carried over from the standard GLE, including the MBUX system.
However, the instrument cluster has its own specific details such as the AMG start-up menu and the four selectable styles: Classic, Sport, AMG exclusive Supersport and Discreet. When the AMG-specific Dynamic Select drive programmes Trail and Sand are activated, off-road-specific settings such as slope, incline and level can be selected and displayed on the instrument cluster.
In total, the AMG Dynamic Select has 7 programmes. The vehicle gets AMG Active Ride Control suspension. Thanks to pneumatic self-levelling at the front and rear axle, the GLE 53 maintains a constant ride height regardless of the vehicle load. The vehicle level is generally lowered by 15 mm in Sport and Sport+ modes. In the Comfort drive programme, the vehicle is lowered by 15 mm at 120 km/h. This reduces aerodynamic drag and, in turn, fuel consumption.
The vehicle body level can be raised by up to 55 mm at the touch of a button with the engine running, regardless of the car stationary or in motion.
Powertrain
Which then brings us to the business end of the story. The GLE 53 is powered by a 2,999 cc in-line 6-cylinder twin-turbo petrol engine, producing 320 kW (435 hp) at 6,100 rpm and 520 Nm of torque at 1,800 – 5,800 rpm. Eliminating the lag is an electric auxiliary compressor that builds up a high level of boost pressure until the big exhaust gas turbocharger kicks in.
As with the standard GLE, the AMG variant too gets the EQ Boost starter-alternator system which briefly provides an additional 16 kW (22 hp) and 250 Nm of torque. Part of the 48 V electrical system, the EQ Boost is also responsible for hybrid functionalities such as energy recovery, shifting of the load point, gliding mode and restarting of the engine with start/stop function.
An AMG Speedshift TCT (Torque-Clutch Transmission) 9-speed automatic transfers the power to all four wheels via 4Matic+ fully variable AWD system. The GLE 53 can sprint from 0 – 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 250 km/h (limited).
Buyers can opt for AMG Performance exhaust system which comes with adjustable exhaust flaps.
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