[News-Oxcart Network]
Lead:
Who would pay $1 million to buy a Mercedes-Benz medium-sized SUV? At the same price, more luxurious brands such as Maserati and Porsche seem to be more able to catch people's hearts, and the attractiveness of Mercedes-Benz car logos is still lower than the first two in the eyes of many people. Admittedly, today's protagonist, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+, is also a fierce character, a dish of those who like low-key people, who often want performance to please themselves, want to decorate themselves elegantly, and want to take care of their families safely and smoothly. So whether this Mercedes-Benz can give these consumer groups what they need, let's take a look at it.
One: the power is fierce, the gear change is fast
This is a medium-sized SUV with two or three hundred thousand more than the regular version, and as an AMG53 model, you will have 0.5 liters more displacement than the GLE 450 model. It is powered by a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 435 hp and a maximum torque of 520 Nm, while the 450 model is equipped with a 2.5T engine. When this 3.0T straight six engine pulls the speed high in neutral gear, the whole car will shake with it, just like the American large-displacement muscle car, which is very scary.
Matched to this engine is the AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9-speed automatic transmission with very rapid gear changes and a four-wheel drive system that intelligently distributes torque. This gearbox is really good at violent driving downshifting, the speed of downshifting is very fast, so that you are very confident in overtaking, basically it is the heart, the throttle, the gear is there.
In addition, in order to pursue better fuel economy and power feeling, it is also equipped with a 48V light mix system, after the complicated operation of the entire power system, its 100 km acceleration is only 5.5 seconds, it is indeed better than other opponents at the same level, the power is very fierce, and the car itself is very large, the field of vision is higher, so the acceleration of the human body will be more intense.
Its 100-kilometer fuel consumption is measured to be only about 15 liters. Interestingly, the front of the engine compartment is made of carbon fiber, and Mercedes-Benz deliberately uses this very primitive and rough pattern in order to highlight this carbon fiber, which looks very "wild"
Two: the suspension is not as expected, and the brake confidence is insufficient
In terms of driving experience, most people's intuitive impression of this car is definitely that it can exercise at home, can run up and down the mountain to buy vegetables, and can make people drive smoothly and comfortably. In fact, before getting this car, my expectations for it were also like this, after all, 1 million AMG models, but the reality made me not so surprised.
It has many driving modes, sand, forest road, slippery, standard, sporty, sport-enhanced, personalized. But no matter in which mode, the steering wheel feel is soft, in the sport and motion enhancement mode, it is reasonable to say that I need a heavy feel to carry out accurate operation, but if you do not feel carefully, the steering force is not changed at all, in the process of running the mountain split the confidence is not so full.
The lack of confidence also comes from the huge body, the length, height and wheelbase of the medium and large SUV are more inclined to the family level, coupled with a very wide center console, the view is not good. This is not a disadvantage in the end, space and manipulation are antonyms, if too much demand, but it seems impersonal.
The biggest problem comes from chassis tuning, as long as there is undulating pavement, its body will swing back and forth, flickering a bit like the feeling of driving a boat, which is a problem of too soft suspension and chassis tuning. The most interesting thing is that at the beginning of the body instability, you need to adjust the steering wheel to change the body posture, and when you have already adjusted, its driving computer detects the roll of the vehicle and begins to contract the suspension. So you just have to adjust into place, the whole body is dragged back, the body posture has a new change, then you need to correct it again. This time and time, the driving experience will be problematic.
At the brake level, the AMG GLE 53 uses a front double piston rear single piston configuration, I have to say that this brake system is really too insufficient, the front section of the brake is very soft, just touch the brake pedal can be stepped on very deeply, and the back section becomes very hard, I personally am not used to it. At the same time, this brake system also has the feeling of high-speed braking. Can you believe that on the 400,000 A35 AMG are all 4 pistons today, the GLE is still using double pistons for such a big car? It's not too cheeky.
All of this means that when you want to drive intensely, it makes you feel tired and difficult to maneuver. I can accept this if it only happens in Comfort mode, but it's a bit uncomfortable with sport or even motion boost mode, where damping is the hardest and air suspension is the lowest. Admittedly, no one will take this GLE 53 off the track, mostly home and sports articulation, but it does not give me a better sports experience, and even a little weird, at least in most cities and on mountain roads.
It wasn't until later that I found a venue that was relatively suitable for it: the highway. Oversized body and strange chassis tuning have led to the car not being able to exert its strength in narrow mountain roads or congested urban roads, but on wide highways, you can shake off your arms and drive with confidence.
Incidentally, the car's four-wheel drive system is so powerful that even if I turn off the stabilization system, its wheels are reluctant to slide against the ground. In the two days of test drive, we exhausted all methods, it will not have even a little bit of out-of-control operation, this car uses up every bit of power of the tires and four-wheel drive system, so that you can rest assured of the fierce driving.
Its paddles are very exciting, made of pure metal, cool to the touch: a mechanical cold-blooded feeling. And the feel is excellent, soft and hard, when you want to throw your head and spill hot blood, it is not so light that you can't release all the power gathered at your fingertips, and it won't sink to hinder your downshift operation. While downshifting with the paddles, you can turn the steering wheel at will, let the chassis and body shake uneasily, and drive on highways with multiple lanes and low traffic.
Three: sound insulation in general, the sound wave is wonderful
Putting sound insulation and sound together, I want to evaluate the auditory experience of each driver and occupant. First of all, Mercedes-Benz did not carry a double-layer laminated glass on this car, and when driving at high speed, there will be tire noise and wind noise that are more clearly transmitted to the car.
Secondly, it is gratifying that this car did not overly affect its exhaust sound because of the National VI particle trap. Originally, I thought it wasn't the V8 AMG, almost got it, but I didn't expect it to be really good. When the full throttle is accelerated, the sound wave is even louder and better than the Audi RS Q8, and if the oil is suddenly collected, the exhaust pipe back pressure will also make a "popping" tempering sound. The most important thing is that the sound of this exhaust is so pure that I even thought it was a sound emitted by a "self-hi tube" or a sound wave simulation.
Finally, paired with Mercedes-Benz's proud Berlin Sound, it is indeed a pleasure to listen to when the noise at low speeds is not large. But after the speed rises, the sound of tire noise, wind noise, exhaust and sound mixed is not pleasing, there is a hint of clutter.
Four: the appearance of more details, dynamic sense strengthened
The GLE53 4MATIC+ may seem bland on the surface, but a little observation will reveal that it is not easy to mess with. The front of the car is equipped with an exclusive chrome straight waterfall grille with an AMG corner logo, and a 3D Mercedes-Benz LOGO that is larger than my head, which makes it more domineering and textured than the ordinary version, and also highlights its uniqueness as an AMG model.
Aerodynamic components are also indispensable to a fast car, in the position of the front bumper, in order to better guide the air flow from the front, AMG deliberately added two air knives to the air inlets of the two pieces, which are beautiful and practical.
And in the front and rear wheel eyebrows, the use of a small wide body design, you can clearly see that the body is a little wider, more conducive to handling, but also to lower the size of the wheel hub. In both the front and rear wheels, heat dissipation orifices and aerodynamic components are designed to dissipate heat from the uncomfortable braking system while effectively reducing wind resistance.
At the rear of the vehicle, although the GLE53 4MATIC+ has been changed to the rear bar in addition to the AMG logo and model logo, only the lower part of the rear bar has been changed to a circular exhaust with horizontal chrome trim and bilateral double out and spoiler style, but the visual effect has been significantly improved. The new shape makes the overall tail more powerful, full of combat spirit but not ostentatious, and the overall shape is just right.
The rear of the car is marked with the AMG logo. The tail lamp is now a shape that many people love and hate, like is really like, do not like every day to say that it is ugly. I personally think that this new taillight shape, in the young dynamic is indeed much better than the previous generation, everyone's aesthetic is different, small taillights increase the body, such a design you think?
In terms of details, the front fender also has its own "TURBO 4MATIC+" logo, which would become "V8 BITURBO 4MATIC+" if it was its big brother AMG 63 model. In addition, there are LED welcome lighted foot pedals under the doors, which make it feel like a ceremony at night.
Fifth: The interior is full of ceremony, and the space should not be underestimated
I have to say that Mercedes-Benz is really a must in creating the texture of the interior space. The whole vehicle basically retains the interior style of the original GLE, and the technology and sense of premium can be called the leading class. AMG also made some changes to the details that brought the GLE to a higher level of luxury and sportiness.
For example, the AMG logo on the bottom of the steering wheel and on the seat surface, which sparkles with silver trim, is everywhere detailed in the car to highlight its unique identity.
Now imagine you sitting in the main driver's seat, holding a steering wheel with a red back to the standard, holding a three-nine-point grip that can comfortably touch the specially designed non-slip fabric, sitting in a seat with a mix of fur and leather, looking at the red stitches that can be seen everywhere in the visual area, fastening the red seat belt, and tapping the shift paddle of the pure metal material with your fingertips, and your movement genes will be activated immediately.
The full LCD dashboard has four theme modes, and I believe there is always one that suits your heart. At the same time, all the modules and dials you can see can be replaced and changed at will. Even if you want the ultimate luxury, Mercedes-Benz can also replace the speedometer on the left side with a huge clock, which has to be said to be really strong.
The right side of the screen can display the current engine power, torque, oil temperature, and transmission oil temperature in real time. Whether you can understand it or not, whether you need it or not, Mercedes-Benz has given you everything that can be given to you, and it is a quantitative state, which is enough to make you feel immersed and walk away for a period of intense driving.
Of course, in the pursuit of sports at the same time, Mercedes-Benz has not forgotten the cost, the rear seat of the original small headrest is very comfortable, you know, at first this is the Maybach can enjoy the configuration. Sitting in the back seat, you may even begin to question whether you are sitting on an AMG model, which also fully reflects the fact that AMG understands that most of our consumers have a heavy family concept.
If you think that for an AMG model, it is more focused on the front row, then you are wrong. After all, in the European and American markets, the GLE model still has a seven-seat version, so its rear space performance should not be underestimated.
Its rear seats are sunken downwards, and with the parquet seat material, comfort and friction for extreme driving are very good. You don't have to worry about the practicality of the back space at all.
After the front seat is adjusted in place, the 180cm tall experiencer can also have three fists of leg space and four fingers of head space in the back row, and the headrest will also have a certain supporting effect on your head, if it is a four-seat situation, the two passengers in the back row are still very comfortable. Of course, if you want to sit five people, the raised platform in the middle and the central armrest protruding from the back will make the person sitting in the middle better than to sit on the pony.
Edit the summary
Under the low-key appearance, there is a big restless heart hidden. The AMG GLE53 4MATIC+ is clearly not a car for others to see. In terms of driving, we think it didn't go to the extreme at a certain point, but chose to compromise, and this compromise also led to its athleticism becoming unremarkable. But I think the GLE53 4MATIC+ doesn't exist without meaning, and at the same price, its power is really one of the best, and the interior and space are almost perfect. It allows you to properly feel the untamed side of AMG while having a baby at home. Of course, it is "proper feeling", if you have too many expectations for it, you will be disappointed, if you do not pursue too much, then this AMG that is 500,000 cheaper than 63 is your best choice.