The Mercedes-Benz GLE450 AMG Coupe is Benz鈥檚 answer to the BMW X6. Benz鈥檚 old ML is now called GLE and the Coupe is the ML/GLE with -- you guessed it -- more of a coupe body. The GLE450鈥檚 name reflects Benz鈥檚 recent nomenclature reorg, conceptually linked to the E-Class, mechanically with the ML: All Benz crossovers are now GLs and have a letter telling us where they sit in relation to the cars. So the GLE occupies roughly the same spot in the SUV hierarchy that the E-Class occupies on the car side. So basically, the GLE450 AMG Coupe is more emotional than rational. The emphasis is on style, design and sporting feel. To that end, the Coupe is significantly restyled front and rear and, most obviously, through its sloping roof and raked pillars. Anyway, we get two versions, the GLE 450 AMG Coupe and the big-dog AMG GLE 63 S Coupe. The 450 has five driving modes, each potentially more dynamic than the last: comfort, slippery (for snow and ice), sport, sport-plus and individual. The modes are selected with a knob on the center console.
Our test vehicle zipped to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 13.7 with a trap speed of 101 mph. The new autobox is quick-shifting yet smooth, but with nine gears it鈥檚 constantly shuffling for the best ratio. Slippery, and Individual), which adjust the air suspension, gearbox, throttle mapping, steering, exhaust, and even the active headlights. V-6鈥檚 active exhaust snarling and popping belligerently. Sport is a better compromise, providing a taut-yet-compliant ride and sharpening the transmission response over the Comfort mode, while still allowing top-gear cruising. 2910), which employs active anti-roll bars that continually adjust for smoother cruising and flatter cornering. The GLE450鈥檚 overall agility and control are impressive for its size, with plenty of lateral grip (0.95 g) and stopping power (70颅 to zero mph in 162 feet). The electrically assisted steering is precise, if a bit numb, and the effort increases somewhat as you hustle into a corner. Yet, despite its massive tire-contact patches, the GLE450 is twitchy at the limit of adhesion and can easily be coaxed into lurid oversteer with the stability control dialed back.
Fortunately in this case, ESC cannot be fully deactivated and quickly shuts down any sliding. The Mercedes鈥?cabin is comfortable and nicely detailed, albeit more bland than that in the elegantly finished C-class, and the full gamut of luxury amenities is on hand. We like the abundance of actual hard buttons on the dash. And the central COMAND controller for the main 8.0-inch display, while not as good as Audi鈥檚 MMI, is an effective electronics interface. Compared with the workaday GLE SUVs, of which there isn鈥檛 yet an AMG Sport version, the two 鈥渃oupe鈥?variants target the upper end of the segment. 84,645 with lots of extras. 1290 Parking Assist package (Active Parking Assist and a 360-degree Surround View camera system). The GLE450 coupe does not make a practical or rational statement with its lofty price tag, lack of any real off-road ability, and reduced visibility and cargo space versus its more conventionally shaped sibling. Nor is it as fun to drive as a traditional sports sedan. The unexpectedly high number of BMW X6 buyers, however, has proved that little of that matters in this peculiar segment. In fact, Munich already has given the X6 a stubby little brother in the X4, and Mercedes will soon offer a fast-roofed version of the smaller GLC-class. It seems that oddness is highly marketable鈥攁nd profitable鈥攖hese days.
The GLE450 AMG Sport corners well for something this large and this heavy and is certainly a lot more poised than the likes of the previous generation ML63 AMG. The large tyres and big wheels of course help but on the whole, the GLE450 coupe certainly feels really sorted for an SUV. Of course, the fact that it doesn鈥檛 make astronomical amounts of power also makes it a lot more usable around the tight and twisty roads that we tested it on. That said, as a balancer, chucking the GLE450 coupe into a corner, even with the great suspension setup working overtime still cannot mask the fact that this is a heavy SUV an not a nimble sportscar. If you want to use the likes of the GLE450 AMG on a daily basis, here is a word of caution. It is not comfortable. Not by a long shot. In comfort mode, the firm suspension makes it extremely jittery over undulated roads that we here in India are 鈥榖lessed鈥?with. Surprisingly, the moment you stiffen the GLE450 up by putting it into Sport, the car becomes a lot more comfortable and usable.
We are guessing the 鈥楽port鈥?part on the AMG sport series is a very subtle hint then! The GLE450 also gets a huge set of brakes and although they are pretty much on point, use them hard over extended periods of time and they do start to show signs of fade. Again, this is not because of the way the brakes are constructed, it is just about the fact that the GLE450 weighs as much as a moon and this puts a lot more stress on them. The Mercedes-Benz GLE450 AMG Sport Coupe is priced at Rs 86.40 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) which makes it about Rs 16.50 lakh more expensive than the most expensive GLE in its standard form that is priced at Rs 69.90 lakh. For that you do get a little less practicality but a lot more style. Of course, the GLE coupe is only available with the 3.0-litre petrol engine as compared to the diesel you get on the standard GLE which means that the coupe gives you a lot less in terms of fuel efficiency.
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