In case you missed it, you can now buy a brand-new Mercedes-Benz GLE. But now, as with the previous generation, Mercedes is offering the option of a coupe version of their GLE-Class and the first version of the GLE coupe will be the Mercedes-AMG GLE53. The car will officially be unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor show, but Merc has released some of the facts and figures to get us excited before then.
Where does the GLE53 sit in the GLE-Class line-up? Well, it sits between to more ordinary versions of the mid-size SUV, such as GLE350, and the brutish, thundering V8 of the GLE63. Of course, a couple of exterior features will change, however, the coupe shape will remain the same.
As we move along to the powertrain side of things, you will find Mercedes-AMG’s 3.0-litre inline-six engine that makes 429 horsepower (320 kW) and 521 Nm of torque. In addition to that, the GLE53 will make use of a mild-hybrid system which can contribute up to 21 HP (16 kW) and 249 Nm for short periods of time. That being said, the electrification is mainly there to ensure fuel efficiency. 0-100 km/h is dealt with in 5.2 seconds and will go on to an electronically limited 250 km/h.
The Merc will make use of seven driving modes namely, Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, Trail, and Sand. In addition to that, the car’s optional air suspension also makes use of a few modes. Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ is what you’ll use on tarmac and Trail, and Sand (which can raise the car by 5.5 cm up to 80 km/h) is used for off-roading. The interior of the GLE53 is filled with many lovely materials such as nappa-leather as well as ordinary leather. As we’ve seen in various other Mercedes models, the dash houses two 12.3-inch screens which displays the MBUX infotainment system as well as the gauge cluster. The latter features an AMG-specific start-up menu which provides a variety of layouts such as Classic, Sport, Discreet and an AMG-exclusive Supersport.
