THE RUNDOWNIt’s the Business
Highs: Ride and handling done right, stonking acceleration.
Lows: Heavier and less involving than a similarly capable
car—sometimes we find ourselves yelling at a cloud.
AMG’s first hot-rod SUV arrived in
1 999, when the company dropped a
5.4-liter V-8 into the body-on-frame
ML and dubbed it the ML55. Two
decades later, many family sedans
are quicker than that 34 2-hp brute,
but it proved to Mercedes that there
was a big audience for a perform-
ance SUV. How big? Of the more
than 30 , 000 AMGs sold annually,
half are utes. While the name has
changed, the GLE 63 S is the descen-
dant of the original AMG SUV.
To get 5571 pounds of SUV to
perform requires a lot of power. To
ZNXRaUNa]\dR.: 4 abß %&
psi of boost down the throat of a 4.0-
liter V-8 and out comes 603 horses
and 627 pound-feet of torque—2 6
and 66 more, respectively, than this
GLE’s predecessor. To ensure that
there’s power in the brief moments
when the two turbochargers in the
engine’s V are snoozing, an electric
motor between the engine and the
nine-speed automatic transmission
can apply up to 21 horsepower and
%! ]\b[QSRRa\Sa\^bR Wb`a\ß
2021 MERCEDES-AMG GLE63 S ~ BY SCOTT OLDHAM idle, during gearchanges, and in a
handful of other situations.
To get this SUV to handle, AMG
throws every trick at it. The engine is
cinched down with dynamic mounts
aUNaaVßR[ a\ VZ]_\cR PUN``V
_R½ReRN[Q\SaR[a\ V\YNaRcVO_N- tions. And there are adjustable air springs and dampers, a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system with an elec- tronically controlled limited-slip _RN_ QVßR_R[aVNY N[Q.PaVcR ?VQR Control to counteract body roll. You feel that traction in your inner ear when the GLE 63 S leaps to 60 mph in 3. 2 seconds; the quarter- mile takes 11.6 seconds and 118 mph. Mercedes claims the ute can hit 174 mph; that’s 3 mph less than the top speed of its closest competitor, the BMW X 5 M Competition. The Ger- man rivals also are closely matched on price. When the AMG goes on sale this summer, it will have a base price of $ 114 ,9 45 , just $ 150 less than the BMW. We should mention that the Jeep Grand Cherokee Track- hawk costs about $88, 000 and hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Although the GLE’s ride is plush in Comfort mode, it gets a bit ½\NafdUR[f\baNaa\ ]YNfdVaU
the accelerator and steering. Body
P[a\Y V RePRYYR[aV[aUR Z\_R aggressive drive modes and the ride never becomes brittle, even on the optional 22-inch wheels and Yoko- hama Advan Sport V 107 summer tires (2 1 -inchers are standard). 2 eaR_V\_ UVTUYVTUa V[PYbQRaUR
usual AMG bits such as vertical grille
slats, an angry-looking front bumper
dVaU YNTR NV V[aNXR ½N_RQ SR[QR_ N_PUR N[Q N SNbeRNQVßbR_6S you want a less suburban look and less cargo space, wait for the GLE coupe that will be here soon. The GLE 63 S continues the ero- sion of our long-standing belief that N]_a@BCVN[\efZ\_\[ ARPU- nology and power have mitigated much of the absurdity of a heavy and high-riding performance vehicle. Buyers have been more open to per- formance SUVs than us , though, and aUR]\dR_N[Q_R¼[RZR[a\S.: 4 μ
latest GLE ensures the soundness
of a business case established some
20 years ago.
the numbers
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-
drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
Base/As Tested .... $ 114 ,9 45 /$ 1 33, 660
Engine: twin-turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8,
aluminum block and heads, direct fuel
injection
Displacement ............... 243 in^3 , 3982 cm^3
Power ........................... 603 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque ...................... 627 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Dimensions- Wheelbase ....................................... 117.9 in
- L/W/H .......................... 195.0/79.4/70.2 in
- Curb Weight .................................... 5571 lb
test RESULTS
Rollout, 1 ft ....................................... 0.2 sec
60 mph ................................................. 3.2 sec
100 mph ............................................... 8.1 sec
130 mph ............................................. 14.5 sec
150 mph ............................................. 21.4 sec
Rolling Start, 5 – 60 mph ............. 4.6 sec
1 /4-Mile ......................... 11.6 sec @ 118 mph
Top Speed (mfr’s claim) ............. 174 mph
Braking, 70 – 0 mph ........................... 158 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ..... 0.90 g
EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est)- Comb/City/Hwy ................ 17/15/20 mpg
C/D Fuel Economy - Observed ......................................... 16 mpg
78 MAY 2020 ~ CAR AND DRIVER