Bi-polar express
A proper o -roader that’s also a luxury coupe? Sure, why not…
Momentarily I’m confused. ‘Be careful,’ the man from Mercedes is telling me via walkie-talkie as I drive his new GLE 53 Coupe up a snowy, icy road in the Austrian Alps, a wall of hard-packed snow on one side, a sheer drop on the other. In the next breath, though, he’s bellowing: ‘Go faster!’
Well which is it, man? But then the penny drops. This is an AMG SUV. You don’t choose: you go faster and you get enough fortifications and driver-assistance systems to save you from avalanches, torpedoes and your own stupidity.
Could it save me from my own ridiculously high hopes, though? Based on its mild-hybrid straight-six being a fantastic engine in other Mercs, and Merc being on a great run of form with its many and various SUVs, I wondered if this might be the best car in the world ever. Through town, on to the motorway, then a country road, and a hairpin-heavy mountain climb, it initially felt too wide and too heavy. But then after a stop for coffee, with expectations suitably lowered, it all fell into place. I got a feel for the responsive, smooth 53, and I relaxed enough to just get on and enjoy it… a lot.
AMG’s excellent mild-hybrid 53 engine is a 3.0-litre straight six with a built-in startergenerator and a 48-volt electrical system. It can soak up surplus braking energy, store it and redeploy it to ease the load on the engine and to power ancillary systems. For short bursts, the electronics can add 22bhp and 184lb ft. But this is a mild hybrid – don’t mistake it for the full plug-in hybrid version, the 350de, a 2.0-litre diesel four with a big battery in the boot, which arrives later. There are also two 3.0-litre diesel sixes, first the 400d and later the 350d.
The new Coupe is shorter than the current SUV-shaped GLE, but longer and wider than the previous Coupe. The styling has been tweaked to make it more distinct from the SUV, with different lights and bulging haunches. Visually, it works better from some angles than others. The UK gets only AMG Line Premium Plus spec, which includes a 12.3-inch instrument screen that joins up with a 12.3-inch central
touchscreen, augmented-reality sat-nav, voice activation, a panoramic sunroof and questionable 22-inch wheels. The AMG version gets a different steering wheel, exhaust and grille, and AMG Active Ride Control suspension, which has electro-mechanical actuators that provide active roll stabilisation. It works well, offering good ride and control on a variety of surfaces, if never quite disguising the size and weight of the car.
A full-fat 63 is expected in late 2020, but the 53 majors on usable power, responding instantly and obediently. If you want a little power, it creamily glides in. If you favour ballistic, it’s yours. The nine-speed auto is quick and smooth, and the drive modes clear and distinct.
On paper, there’s scope for awkward compromises: it’s AMG’s version of the coupe version of a big SUV, for heaven’s sake. But on the road, and indeed on the snow, its disparate elements combine harmoniously.
So, no, not the best car in the world; not revolutionary; not a looker; and perhaps not quite worth the money. But very, very good. It’s fast. And it takes care of you.