AMG’s Millennial Mad Max
Is the new Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 the perfect machine for a pandemic? Nile Bijoux finds out.
Originally, I was going to compare the MercedesAMG GLE 53 to the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid from a few months back, but with the pandemic-imposed lockdown, the GLE turned into more of a Millennial’s doomsday machine.
An AMG under lockdown? How did that work out?
Yeah, that sucked. Having an AMG on the driveway and not being able to drive it isn’t ideal. But I did use it for braving the supermarket during the height of panic-buying, and cautious venturing to the local cafe when we dropped into level 3.
I’ll tell you one thing, though – people get out of the way when that big AMG grille appears in their rearview.
If the V8-powered GLE 63 is more of a Baby Boomer’s Mad Max machine, the GLE 53’s technical prowess aligns it neatly with the environmentally-aware Millennial’s doomsday scenario.
That kind of fits well with the whole global pandemic thing, too, as opposed to eternal nuclear winter.
What’s to know about this thing, then?
It’s a GLE, which means it’s a midsize Mercedes SUV, the SUV variant of the E Class, if you will. The ‘‘53’’ suffix refers to its 3.0-litre turbocharged, 48-volt mild hybridified straight-six powertrain while the letters ‘‘AMG’’ means it’s hotter than your typical GLE.
That powertrain is a welcome return of the straight-six layout to Mercedes’ lineup, albeit modified for the modern age. It has a mild hybrid system built-in, which helps reduce emissions via a starter/ generator that kicks the engine into life and powers auxiliary gubbins like air-conditioning, as well as offering a temporary power boost when the driver wants it. It also lets the engine decouple when coasting, further improving efficiency.
It has AMG’s Active Ride Control suspension (paired with continually adjustable damping), 4Matic all-wheel-drive, a ninespeed torque-converter automatic, the MBUX infotainment system, and all the other trimmings you’d expect of a near-$200k high-end AMG.
Did you get a chance to properly drive it at all?
Not like I usually might but the move to level 3 allowed more driving freedom, and I made the tactical decision to open my bubble to include my dad, who lives a bit further out west than I do.
Just far enough to engage in some Sports Plus driving but not so far that I was breaking any lockdown rules, and let me tell you, just because this is a two-tonne SUV doesn’t mean it can’t handle itself in the twisties.
The AMG active ride control suspension firms up nicely in Sports Plus and the optional 22-inch rims wrapped in fat tyres hold grip impossibly well. Feeding power through all four wheels hauls the GLE through the bends, helped by the electrical power boost from the EQ system.
Sprinting to 100kmh takes a claimed (and probably conservative) 5.3 seconds, while fuel consumption sits at around 9.4 litres/100km – if you can restrain from making the exhaust pop and bang.
Torque delivery is on par with a similar diesel engine – this thing pulls from anywhere in the rev range, but the soundtrack from AMG’s variable exhaust system and the boosted straight-six easily outstrips any rattly oil burner. You can quote me on that. Twisting the steering wheelmounted drive mode selector back to Comfort softens up the suspension and encourages the transmission to select larger cogs in the name of efficiency. It turns the GLE back into a cushy family wagon, and lets your passengers compose themselves after your winding ‘‘shortcut’’.
Of course, being a GLE means it’s well suited for city life, even if its footprint is a bit large for some areas.
The boot is spacious (630 litres/ 2055 litres with the seats flattened), there’s plenty of room in the back seats, and Mercedes offers the same high standard of creature comforts here as it does in all of its GLE SUVs.
So it’s a good drive and a nice car to be in. Any cons?
The lane-keep assist has a bit of a love affair with the left half of the lane and isn’t easily switched off, the option hidden beneath a few MBUX menus, so I resorted to gently tugging the wheel to the right while using cruise control.
If you want to use your phone with the MBUX system, be prepared to prod at the touchscreen instead of using the normally great steering wheel/touchpad controls.
I have an Android phone and Android Auto refused to play nicely with anything other than the touchscreen, which is a bit far away to easily prod at. It could be an Android thing but the system works with other cars so I’m looking more at a disjoint with MBUX here.
Any other cars to consider?
The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid immediately springs to mind, as does the Audi SQ7.
The Porsche undercuts the other two by around $20k, and has a proper plug-in hybrid system, which means it’s more efficient and has more kilowatts than the other two. However, it has the least inspiring soundtrack and requires more option-ticking than the other two in order to bring it up to standard.
Audi’s offering uses a twiceboosted 4.0-litre diesel V8 for motivation, which generates a huge 900Nm of twist and a nice rumble, if a bit quiet.
It also has a 48-volt mild hybrid system, like the AMG, and an arguably snazzier interior than the other two as well.
But if you want exhaust theatrics, an old-school engine note, and a well-sorted ride in town and out, the AMG is hard to beat.