Once again, I was cruelly reminded that 2022 was two years ago, while trying to remember the previous AMG GLE update. Time is surely flying by these days, but let’s move on from that for now. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 comes in at Rs 1.85 crore, eyeing the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and the Audi Q8. You might ask ‘it looks just the same, what’s new?’ Like in the case of the GLA (and other Mercs of late), the AMG GLE too features subtle changes, but they will make their presence felt for sure.
Let’s immediately get inside, because that’s where the crux of changes has taken place. The AMG GLE 53 too finally gets the latest AMG-specific steering wheel with touch-controls and the mode selector dial. The air-con receives something called an ‘air balance’ package, and the cupholders in the center console receive heating as well as cooling functions; this could be a nice novelty to have. Then there are the other set of features such as a 100W charging port, a 360-degree camera, ambient lighting, a 13-speaker Burmester sound system, parking assist, and brake assist among other things.
Since this is the AMG GLE 53, you’ll see the inline six-cylinder turbo petrol churning out 429 bhp and 57.1 kgm of torque. Packing mild-hybrid tech, the AMG GLE gets an additional 0.4 kgm of torque in short bursts. Mercedes claims it reaches triple digits in 5 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds faster than before. Let’s wait for our review to verify those claims, shall we?
On the outside, save for revised headlights, tail lights, new alloy rims, and a new AMG logo on the hood, nothing else has changed, and why should it? To quote Sweet Johnson from GTA San Andreas, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ Question is, at this price point, with the given set of updates, would you consider the AMG GLE compared to something like the Q8 and the Cayenne Coupe?
