LEVEL UP

Mercedes-Benz debuts the 53 line of cars in India with the GLE 53 Coupe, and it packs plenty of go-faster tech we have never seen on an AMG

- AATISH MISHRA

FIFTY-THREE. IT DOESN’T ROLL OFF THE tongue as easily as Sixty-Three does. But that’s irrelevant since the 53 range of AMGs isn’t trying to step on the 63’s toes. Instead, it comes in as a replacement for the 43s! “Lovely,” I hear you say, “A bigger number must mean a bigger engine.” Wrong. Trust the Germans to be so obtuse with their nomenclature — what the 53 really means is that Mercedes-Benz has switched these mid-range AMGs from 3-litre V6 engines to 3-litre inline sixes and have added a mild hybrid system for good measure. It’s more a sideways step than upwards. And the first 53 car is finally here — the GLE 53 Coupe.