Mercedes-Benz has created a full-blown rival to the BMW X6 with its new GLE coupé model, and the model is on display for the first time at the Detroit motor show.
The GLE coupé is based on what was known as the ML, which has been renamed GLE and is due for a facelift in early 2015. It joins a fast-expanding range of Mercedes SUVs in the UK, a line-up that will include the Mercedes-Benz C-Class-based GLC by the end of 2015.
The GLE coupé is due to go on sale in the UK in June, priced at about £10,000 more than equivalent GLE models.
The GLE coupé also ushers in the new range of ‘AMG sports’ models for Mercedes. These cars are in a similar vein to the way that BMW differentiates its more accessible M Performance models from full-blown M cars.
Mercedes claims to have fused an SUV with a coupé for this new model and is hoping to attract younger buyers as a result.
The GLE is the base, but it has been re-engineered for a more focused and sportier drive. The suspension geometry has been changed, the driving modes remapped and the gear ratios tweaked for the standard-fit nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The range has one diesel and two petrol models. The nine-speed auto is the sole transmission and permanent all-wheel drive is fitted to each of the three models.
The flagship model is the GLE450 AMG coupé, the first model in the AMG sports range that will be rolled out across the rest of Mercedes’ line-up.
Powering this model will be a biturbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine with 362bhp and 383lb ft of torque. A version of this engine is offered in the GLE400 coupé with outputs of 328bhp and 354lb ft.
The only diesel model is the GLE350d coupé. This gets a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel with 254bhp and 457lb ft. Mercedes has yet to confirm performance or economy figures for any of the models.
In the non-AMG models, torque is split 50/50 between the front and rear axles, but the AMG version has a rear-biased 40/60 split.
The GLE coupé is 4900mm long, 2003mm wide and 1731mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2915mm. For comparison, the X6 is 4909mm long, 1989mm wide and 1702mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2933mm.
A notable feature of the GLE coupé is its Dynamic Select driving mode control system. This includes five selectable driving modes — Individual, Comfort, Slippery, Sport and Sport+ — that tweak ‘hard’ features such as chassis, powertrain, suspension and steering systems, as well as ‘soft’ functions such as engine sound and the activeness of the front LED headlights.
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What has happened to the art of car design?
Such A Change
I thought nothing could be as