Gas is cheap, and the auto industry is booming again. We鈥檙e back to 2006 numbers for the first time since Wall Street pulled off the biggest pyramid scheme in history. One of the biggest beneficiaries of this return to bubble-inducing growth spurts? The SUV. But what if you want to sell SUVs to people who might want SUVs but don鈥檛 really want SUVs that look like SUVs? You build SUV-like objects in as many flavors as possible. Objects like the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, a swollen, bulbous appendage to the Mercedes lineup, built off the new E-sized range (until recently known as the ML-Class) but with swoopier lines and cartoon-huge wheels. I recently spent a day wheeling the GLE450 AMG Sport version on and around the famed 11-mile, 300-plus-turn Tail of the Dragon. While I can鈥檛 in good conscience say I loved it, I can see why people would. The GLE is, after all, a new-generation Mercedes-Benz, which means it can practically drive itself in some situations. As a mode of transport for four people, the GLE450 works just fine.

It鈥檚 not especially efficient at 17/23 mpg city/highway, but it鈥檚 quick. Top speed is 155 mph, 0-60 mph comes in 5.6 seconds, and its torque plateau of 384 lb-ft is available from 1,800 to 4,000 rpm. But there is one other number that leaps off the stat sheet: the GLE鈥檚 4,894-pound curb weight. Despite the best efforts of AMG engineers to mitigate its heft with a 40/60 front/rear 4Matic torque bias, Airmatic adaptive damping, and active roll stabilization, it can鈥檛 escape being big, heavy, and sluggish in spots. It鈥檚 a crossover in the end. For a vehicle bearing the AMG logo, even if adulterated with the 鈥淪port鈥?appendix, the GLE Coupe may seem like an oddball. Like the other German ur-Coupe-UV, the BMW X6, it鈥檚 an answer to a question no one asked. Instead, it鈥檚 a marketing decision designed to fractalize the booming sales of 鈥渢rucks鈥?鈥?crossovers and SUVs in luxury speak.

The more models you can build the more incremental sales you add. The decision fits perfectly with both the new Mercedes-Benz philosophy for itself and for its image of what AMG Sport should be. The gap between standard Mercedes-Benz products and the true AMG lineup has traditionally left considerable room in terms of performance and price for some intermediary models. That鈥檚 where AMG Sport comes in. If you aren鈥檛 ready to make the leap from the C300 to the C63, where do you turn? Why, the new C450 AMG Sport, of course. In the case of the GLE, Mercedes-Benz USA skipped right over the base offering, but the theory still holds. Porsche franchise鈥?inside their Mercedes-Benz dealerships. And that, in a nutshell, explains the GLE. No, Porsche hasn鈥檛 built a rather large coupe-crossover (yet), but it has been expanding its army of sports cars off its SUV profits for a decade already. With the Cayenne and now the Macan, Porsche has found a mix that lets it build a business case around the whole brand, including the iconic models that would likely wither and die if left on their own. Would I recommend the GLE Coupe in AMG Sport guise to a friend? No, not really. But if AMG can finance more cars like the GT S with a few more humpbacked behemoths like the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, hand me the binoculars, and let鈥檚 go whale watching.

So at the end of the day, you could have fuel economy and practicality vs a lot more style. The GLE450 AMG Sport Coupe is a tough car to critique. On one side, you have that gorgeous body and good handling as positives. And on the other hand you have the well made but slightly boring interiors along with the firm and jittery ride as partial negatives. But being automotive journalists first and petrol heads a close second, we are willing to forgive these small follies in the light of what is possibly one of the better petrol engines we have driven in a while. And come to think of it, the GLE450 is a great value for money product too with its nearest competition, the BMW X6 priced almost Rs 30 lakh more. The final verdict is quite clear. The GLE450 AMG Sport coupe is not for everyone. But for those who want something different that will stand out is a sea of grey, black and white luxury SUVs, it is the perfect alternative!

This is the first of the AMG Sport models to come to India. What exactly is this AMG Sport, you ask? Well, it's the definition of being 鈥榮ober鈥?in Affalterbach speak. It's far more timid than full-blown AMGs, but faster and crisper than regular Mercs. So then, the GLE 450 Coupe gets a V6 under its hood, an engine that India is witnessing for the very first time. It displaces 3.0-litres and churns out a moderate 364bhp and 450Nm of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. How does it feel in the real word? Here's our GLE 450 AMG Coupe review. With the GLE Coupe, Mercedes has done what BMW did with the X6. It鈥檚 transformed the new GLE SUV in to a coupe-SUV and given it some added road presence. The sloping rear gives it that unmistakable shape and distinguishes it from the regular GLE. It brings performance of a sports coupe and the practicality of a SUV under one roof. This then, the GLE Coupe, comes with adaptive suspension and driving modes that alter the car's characteristics to suit the terrain you're driving on and your mood for the day. At Rs 86.4 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), the GLE 450 AMG Coupe is Rs 16.4 lakh dearer than the regular GLE SUV. But for that money you get a new V6 motor under the hood and a lot of flamboyance. After launching 15 models in 2015, Merc says they'll launch 12 new cars this year, first being the GLE 450 AMG Coupe. Along with that, they'll open 10 more dealerships around the country. With that, Merc wants to make sure it keeps up the momentum that it had gained by selling 13,502 units in 2015 - much more than Audi and BMW.