KINDERGARTEN ENROLLS AT NASCAR

The most fearsome family car has finally arrived

- Pawan Dhingara

The GLE 63 S, in a few words, is another opportunity for the guys at AMG to prove to the world that the most powerful engine in AMG’s locker can be shoehorned into an SUV while ignoring the inconvenient existence of speed limits, poor road conditions, and traffic that have a rather big influence on the way these cars are driven in the real world.

To be honest I’ve become numb to this constant war of power figures; in 2012 the Mercedes ML 63 already had around 510hp and could do 0-60m/h in under 5 seconds. It was enough even back then, but when today’s rivals, like the BMW X5 M and Range Rover Sport SVR, keep turning the wick up, there is a temptation and expectation to follow suit. Remember when C63s, E63s, and GTs were AMG’s undisputed halo performance cars that held enough clear-cut advantages over their SUV counterparts? Not anymore, those lines have been blurred; the GLE 63 S is only two tenths slower to 60m/h than the AMG GT-R and roars around oblivious to the fact that it’s actually a 2.4 tonne SUV with five doors and equipped with driving modes that include ‘trail’ and ‘sand.’

You can keep trying to explain to it that it is not a sportscar but the GLE 63 S will spend every minute of every day, using all its modes and self-leveling air suspension, to convince you otherwise.

Quick facts; 0-60m/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h with the limiter on and 155m/h with it off.

The engine is assisted by Merc’s EQ boost technology to supplement the power delivery with 21hp and 250Nm and keeps the 48V system, used primarily for the active anti-roll bars, in top shape. When driving at lower rpm, the EQ boost makes it possible for the engine to run on 4-cylinders for gains in emissions and fuel consumption.