Luxury SUVs are trending, and then comes the need for performance. Many manufacturers offer the luxury of quality cabin space and the rugged practicality of an SUV matched with insane performance under the hood. There is the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, both of which are due for an update; there is the 2023 facelifted Range Rover Velar, but what’s fresh out of the assembly line microwave is the 2023 BMW X5 xDrive 40i M Sport and the Mercedes Benz GLE 450 4Matic.
They are also the two most sought-after and complete luxury SUVs in this space and are segment leaders. We threw the respective brands and their enthusiastic versions in the ring to see who would be the ultimate winner. The game’s rules were divided into six rounds, and the one with the maximum knockout punches takes the crown of the Ultimate 5-seater luxury SUV priced a little over a crore Indian moolah.
ROUND 1
DESIGN
The 2023 Mercedes Benz GLE 450 design is nostalgic and might remind you of the original ML launched in 1997, especially from this rear quarter part of the car. The new multibeam headlamps get a new DRL signature, giving it a striking persona. The GLE 450 and 450d AMG Line kit is standard, which includes the starry grille and the more aggressive bumpers with a wheel size of 20 inches. The other variants’ grilles are a different design.
Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 2024-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Next Great Family MPV?
“Whoa, that’s a nice-looking Minivan!” Said no one ever.
MG COMET
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD THOUGHT THIS CAR TO BE COMPLETELY useless when it came out.
BMW i7
WHEN THE i7 PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND PARKED ITSELF next to the Mercedes EQA and the MG Comet, it just struck me that this is how the future will be.
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
McLaren's finest faces off Corvette's nat-asp swansong as the Brits and the Americans square up... in a Spanish playground. Expect fireworks
NEXT LEVEL
Thought the 750S was fast? The McLaren P1's successor - the W1 is ready to spread its wings
MANUAL LABOUR
Two cars from opposite ends of the performance spectrum with one crucial thing in common...
PRO VS SLOW
At last, we have our hands on the Valkyrie. But is its performance only accessible for the pros... or can anyone enjoy it?
THE OUTBURST OF OFFROADING
The high-volume market is a point of interest for all manufacturers here in India.
THE BATTLE OF CRUISER-COMMUTERS
WHO DOES THE BEST COMMUTER WORK WHILE NOT BEING A TRUE COMMUTER MOTORCYCLE?
LEAVING EVERYTHING ON THE TRACK
FT. YMRP ROUND 3 From being second, I DNF'd from the race on the last corner
