Mercedes-AMG GLE43 4Matic Coupe: Swift segment-bending SUV

By Ghaith Madadha - Nov 12,2018 - Last updated at Nov 12,2018

Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

Depending on how one looks at it, modern car makers are either diversifying or diluting their model ranges. Offering more choice than ever, modern cars also share more parts than ever and try to cover as much ground as possible rather than offering a core line-up to define a brand.

Among such manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz now catering to just about any and every car niche one can think of. And among the most niche of these is the Mercedes-AMG GLE43 Coupe.

New niches

In a veritable alphanumeric soup of numbers and letters, the Mercedes-AMG GLE43 Coupe is a derivative of the SUV formerly known as the ML-Class. A sporty, entry-level high performance road-oriented SUV, the GLE Coupe sports a fashionably low so-called “four-door coupe” cabin that is more practical than a two-door but less than the regular GLE-Class’ traditional SUV body style. Powered by a new engine, the GLE43 less extreme V6 engine bridges the performance gap between regular Mercedes GLE models and the full fat AMG GLE63.

Tall riding and with a high waistline, the GLE43 Coupe has a distinctly bottom-heavy and wide stance that is accentuated by its huge 275/45R21 front and 315/40R21 rear tyres, and smoothly and arcing roofline and short glasshouse cabin. Arrogant yet with elegant lines, the GLE43 Coupe is not as classically handsome as its traditional SUV body sister model, and uses huge front side intakes, ridged side character lines and more details at the rear to add feature to its tall flanks and front and rear fascia.

Junior brute

Under its muscular bonnet and behind its snouty single-slat grille with big tri-star emblem, the GLE43 Coupe is powered by Mercedes’ twin-turbocharged 3-litre direct injection V6-engine, as reworked for high performance service by the brand’s in-house AMG skunkworks division. Different in character and delivery to AMG’s brutishly bellowing, brawnier and bigger V8 engine, the GLE43’s V6 seems more eager to rev and delivers its best efforts higher up in the rev range in an urgently progressive manner. Smaller in displacement, fuel efficiency is also more restrained at 9.8l/100km, combined.

Responsive from idling owing to quick boosting turbos, the GLE43 Coupe produces 362BHP at a 5,500-6,000rpm plateau and 383lb/ft torque throughout a broad, versatile and accessible 1,200-4,000rpm range. Not one wanting for more power or torque, the GLE43 is plenty quick with a responsive mid-range and is able to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h in 5.7-seconds and onto 250km/h. However, the GLE43’s 2.2-tonne weight seems to slightly blunt the edge off its engine’s zesty delivery when driven back to back with a lighter, lower and zippier Mercedes-AMG C43.

Settled and stable

Driving all four wheels through a smooth and slick-shifting 9-speed automatic gearbox, the GLE43 Coupe has tenacious grip traction off the line. With staggered tyre sizes to improve steering accuracy in front and to generate high levels of grip at the rear, the GLE43 Coupe is confident, reassuring and committed through corners. Direct and with good meaty weighting at speed, the GLE43 Coupe’s steering is precise but lacks the intimate, nuanced feel and feedback of a lighter and sportier car. Brakes meanwhile were faithfully reassuring.

Committed through corners and tidy on turn-in and through for a high riding and heavy SUV, the GLE43 Coupe’s weight and height become more apparent when driven on track after driving the Mercedes-AMG C43, and while agile next to most competitors, the GLE43 lacks the Audi Q8’s sublime optional four-wheel-steering and the agility enabled by it. Manoeuvrable and balanced nonetheless, the GL443’s body lean through corners is minimised and kept well in check by its taut yet forgiving adaptive dampers.

Fast fastback

Driven on a smooth surfaced track, the GLE43 Coupe felt comfortable and with refinement, but one expects that its low profile tyres and 21-inch alloy wheels might feel firm over jagged bumps and cracks at medium speeds, but that its adaptive dampers would take the edge off more common road imperfections. Well-insulated, refined and quiet inside, the GLE43 Coupe feels like the up-market sports SUV it is, while at high speed it remained as stable, settled and reassuring as one expects from the Stuttgart tri-star brand.

With a good, supportive and well-adjustable driving position one feels well-ensconed behind the GLE43 Coupe’s thick sporty steering wheel and within its high waistline. And while front visibility is good, the GLE’s small glasshouse reduces rear and rear-side visibility compared to the regular GLE SUV, but driver assistance systems and a reversing camera help mitigate this. Stylish, well-laid out and equipped and finished with quality materials inside, the GLE43 Coupe’s rakish roofline reduces rear headroom compared to the non-coupe GLE, and while it looks similar to a saloon from outside, its lift-back tailgate provides good access to its generous boot.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS