From the GLE to GLS and C 63 AMG Coupe to the AMG GT R, Mercedes-Benz India has been actively rolling out new models in the wake of the lockdown. For about half a decade, the brand has stayed on top of the luxury cars sales charts and now there’s another exciting car that widens the brand’s performance car line-up in India. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe has been launched at Rs 1.2 crore, ex-showroom. We had the GLE 43 AMG before, but that was discontinued early this year and this new model one-ups the 43 on performance and design both.
Starting with the design, the GLE 53 AMG Coupe is a stately 4939mm long and 2010mm wide which means it will have a ginormous footprint on the road. The front boasts Mercedes-AMG family’s characteristic design elements like panamericana radiator grille, Mercedes star in a double ring, slimmer LED headlamps and an aggressively styled bumper. The highlight is of course the striking coupe silhouette, a design that is becoming increasingly popular among luxury and performance SUV buyers. Amplifying its performance credentials are sporty elements like quad tail pipes, flared wheel arches and a subtle boot lip spoiler.
As far as on paper performance figures go, the GLE 53 AMG Coupe packs some nerve wracking oomph. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, the GLE 53 AMG Coupe produces 429bhp at 6100rpm and a peak torque of 520Nm between 1800-5800rpm. The power derived from the F1-inspired EQ Boost mild hybrid system is an additional 22bhp and 250Nm of torque. As a result, the GLE 53 AMG Coupe will race to a 100kmph in just 5.3 seconds and go on to hit an electronically limited top whack of 250kmph. The EQ Boost starter alternator’s functions also include brake energy recuperation, coasting, engine start/stop as well as assisting the AMG Active Ride Control.
Power is sent to all four wheels through the AMG Speedshift 9-speed automatic transmission and the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system that comes as standard. Aiding handling is the AMG Active Ride Control + air suspension that can adjust the suspension upto 1000 times per second. That said, driver’s can also choose from five driving modes and two off-road modes — Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, Trail and Sand. On the inside things are neat as well with the AMG performance steering wheel wrapped in black Nappa leather, a wide-screen cockpit flowing into a large infotainment screen that supports the latest iteration of MBUX.
Cars like the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and the BMW X6 come close to the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 Coupe in terms of performance and price, however at Rs 95 lakh, the X6 undercuts the Mercedes by a fair margin while the Cayenne Coupe produces significantly less power and torque. The recently launched Audi RSQ8 costs almost Rs 1 crore more and that means the GLE 53 AMG is in a league of its own.