The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 12: Summer 2019 | Page 38

REVVED UP
First Look At The New Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53
“A successful
combination that
achieves the win-
win of reduced fuel
consumption and
emissions”
The SUV bandwagon rolls
on, seemingly unstoppable.
Mercedes-Benz has now taken
the sector another stage further
with, it has be said, the rather
exciting performance-based
Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+,
packed with even more power
and precision, yet with just 212g/
km of emissions.
The Driving Dynamics
The motive power is provided
by the 435hp, 3.0L straight-
six engine featuring twin-
turbocharging and an electric
auxiliary compressor that
delivers maximum torque of
520Nm. Its EQ-Boost starter
generator briefly provides an
additional 16 kW of output plus
250Nm of torque and additionally
feeds the 48V on-board electrical
system. This powerful motor
drives fully variable all-wheel
drive via an agile 9-speed
automatic transmission.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53
4MATIC+ accelerates from 0 to
62 mph in just 5.3 seconds and
achieves an electronically limited
speed of 155 mph. The whole is
a successful combination that
achieves the win-win of reduced
fuel consumption and emissions.
An AMG-specific drive
programme and ‘active ride
control’ air suspension has a
particularly sportive spring/
damper set-up coupled with
adjustable damping that provides
outstanding driving dynamics
with high ride comfort. The
damping characteristics can
be preselected by the driver in
a variety of modes; ‘Slippery’,
“Comfort”, “Sport” and “Sport+”
and ‘Individual’, allowing a
significantly more noticeable
differentiation between long-
distance comfort and sporty
driving dynamics. In addition,
there are two new levels for off-
road use, “Trail” and “Sand”.
Numerous options such as the
selectable performance exhaust
system and the AMG steering
wheel buttons make the driving
experience even more exciting,
says the company.
The Gearbox
The 9-speed automatic torque-
clutch transmission ensures
seamless gear shifting with
extremely short shift times. It
is optimally tuned to the engine
and promises speedy shifting
– regardless of an automatic
or manual transmission via the
steering wheel shift paddles.
Up-shifts or down-shifts are
implemented instantly. Especially
in the “Sport+” and in manual
driving modes, the transmission
is said to be very responsive,
according to the German brand.
Multiple downshifting enables
fast bursts of speed, while the
double-clutch function makes
shift operations acoustically
more pleasing to the ears.
All-Wheel Drive
Securing all corners, the AMG
Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel
drive is equipped for maximum
traction and dynamics. The
intelligent steering variably
links the permanently driven
rear axle with the front axle
and continually calculates the
optimum torque distribution
– depending on the driving
situation and the driver’s
wishes. The all-wheel drive thus
improves traction and more
powerful acceleration from a
standing position and for short
sprints.
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019
The Interior
The GLE 53 4MATIC+ can be
recognised by the characteristic
red colour accents. This starts
with the seats, fitted as standard
with covers in black Artico
man-made leather with red
contrasting top stitching. They
not only offer optimal lateral
support, but also have an
AMG-specific design and “AMG”
badge in the front seat backrest.
The top part of the instrument
panel is covered in the same
man-made leather. The black
roof liner and the trim elements
are in Anthracite open-pore oak
wood, all of which underscore
the sporty appearance.
A key highlight is the foldable
third row of seats (standard in
the UK specification), which
make the Mercedes a seven-
seater. Thanks to the Easy Entry
function of the fully electrically
adjustable second seat row, the
two rearmost passengers can
conveniently reach their seats.
Within the widescreen cockpit,
the instrument cluster and
touchscreen multimedia display
optically combine into one unit.
Numerous functions can also be
activated via the intelligent voice-
operated control.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53
4MATIC+ offers all the attributes
of a family SUV combined with
the spirit of a performance
sports car.
By Geoff Maxted
www.drivewrite.co.uk