Mercedes-Benz GLE53 AMG Smack in the middle of Mercedes's engine lineup for the updated Mercedes-Benz GLE53 2021 -class is the brand's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six.
Set against the standard 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and AMG's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 with more than 600 ponies, the six's smoothness and…
Mercedes-Benz GLE53 AMG Smack in the middle of Mercedes’s engine lineup for the updated Mercedes-Benz GLE53 2021 -class is the brand’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six.
Set against the standard 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 with more than 600 ponies, the six’s smoothness and easy power make it a standout in the GLE53 coupe model.
The turbocharged six features a 48-volt motor-generator that delivers the 3.0-liter a silky-smooth auto stop-start system and also fills in the gaps between nine-speed automatic transmission’s gear changes.
The 48-volt system also powers an electric supercharger that helps feed boost before the turbocharger wakes up.
The hybrid/supercharger combo yields a low-rpm surge that helps get the 5322-pound GLE off the line with satisfying authority.
HIGHS: Refined and silky inline-six, punchy acceleration, modern and high-budget interior.
Total engine power comes in at 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, numbers that fit in neatly between the GLE350’s 255 horsepower and the monstrous GLE63 S Coupe’s 603 ponies.
The run to 60 mph takes 4.7 seconds, and the quarter-mile mark falls in 13.4 seconds at 103 mph. For something with abundant power and sporting intentions, top speed is limited to a not-so-AMG 112 mph.
A GLE53 opens at 120million naira, but a list of options the size of a CVS receipt brought the total to 130,460m.
If that makes you think you’d rather forgo a host of options and instead spend an extra $10,000 to get a base $114,945 V-8-powered GLE63 S with a 3.4-second time to 60 mph, well, you’re not alone.
The EPA estimates that the GLE63 S models will return 15 mpg city and 19 mpg highway but the GLE53 variants are more fuel-efficient.
Those six-cylinder models both carry a city rating of 18 mpg but the squareback is rated for 23 mpg highway while the coupe is good for 22 mpg.
On our 75-mph highway fuel economy test route, the GLE53 coupe delivered an impressive 26 mpg. The squareback GLE63 S also outperformed its government estimate in our testing at 22 mpg.
Inside, two giant digital displays dominate the dashboard of every 2021 GLE-class. The interior environs are sportier than the standard Benz models, though,
as the AMG versions come with sport seats with red contrasting stitching, a sport steering wheel, red seatbelts, and aluminum accents.
Their cabin is spacious, too, even in the back seat. A third row of seats is also optional. Both the GLE53 and GLE63 S offer the same cargo space as the Mercedes-Benz GLE450 we tested,
which means they’ll have space for a whopping 11 carry-on suitcases behind the second row of seats and, with the rear seats stowed, room for up to 26 cases in total.
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