As a leading third-party automotive quality evaluation platform in China, Cheqq.com has launched the "New Car Commerciality Evaluation" column based on massive automotive product test samples and scientific data models. Every month, for a number of models on sale that have been on the market in China for less than two years and have a mileage of no more than 5,000 kilometers, through the two dimensions of objective data and subjective feelings, senior evaluators use professional equipment to conduct systematic testing and evaluation, so as to comprehensively display and analyze the current situation of the overall commoditization level of new cars in the domestic automobile market, and provide consumers with objective and true opinions and reference when purchasing vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz GLE is a star model in the domestic luxury medium and large SUV market, with sales ranking at the top of the rankings, and balanced performance and high brand recognition are important reasons for its continued hot sales. As a high-performance model of Mercedes-Benz GLE, the AMG GLE has been further improved in terms of vehicle dynamics and can meet the higher requirements of target customers. As of press time, the cumulative number of complaints about the 2024 AMG GLE since its launch is zero, and the word-of-mouth performance in the short term is worthy of recognition. So, can the 2024 AMG GLE continue the existing word-of-mouth performance? Will there be some new problems that are difficult for ordinary consumers to discover? This issue of "New Car Merchandising Evaluation" will clear the fog for you and restore a real 2024 AMG GLE through the two dimensions of objective data and subjective feelings.
1. Objective data
This project mainly shows the performance of the new car in terms of commerciality in an all-round way through field tests of 12 items such as body technology, paint film level, interior air quality, vibration and noise, parking radar and lighting/vision.
In the body process test link, a total of 10 key parts of the vehicle are selected, and 3 key points will be selected for measurement in each key part to evaluate the uniformity of the gaps in each key part. Judging from the test results, the average gap of the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ is at a relatively low level in most parts of the whole car, only the average gap between the left and right front doors and rear doors, and the connection between the left rear fender and the trunk is slightly higher, but it does not affect the test results too much, and the uniformity of the vehicle gap is worth affirming.
In the paint film level test link, it can be found through the test results that the average thickness of the paint film of the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ vehicle is about 142.9μm, and the data level reaches the standard value of high-end cars (120μm-150μm). Judging from the test data of each key part, the paint film thickness of the engine compartment cover and the front fenders on both sides is low, which does not reach the standard value of high-end cars, and the thickness of the paint film in the rest of the parts exceeds the standard value of high-end cars. Although the thickness of the paint film of the whole vehicle is acceptable, there is still room for improvement in the uniformity of the paint film spraying.
In the in-vehicle air quality test, the vehicle was placed in an internal surface parking lot with fewer vehicles, and no formaldehyde was detected in the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ vehicle, which fully complies with the relevant standards in the "Guidelines for the Evaluation of Interior Air Quality in Passenger Cars" (National Standard GB/T 27630-2011) jointly issued by the former Ministry of Environmental Protection and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China since March 1, 2012.
In the static noise test, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ has a measured noise value of 30dB in the car when stationary, which is the lowest value of the test instrument. As the engine starts, the noise value into the car shows a gradual increase trend, according to the test data, the engine at idle, 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm, the noise value into the car is 31.3dB, 46.1dB and 53.1dB respectively. The 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ performs well in engine noise suppression when compared with noise levels in several different environments, with little to no disturbance to the driver and occupants in the car.
In the air conditioning noise test, the test instrument is first placed at a position about 10cm away from the air outlet of the air conditioner, and then the air volume of the air conditioner is increased from small to large, and the noise value of the driver's position is measured in different gears. The 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ has seven levels of climate control, and the noise level measured at 64.8dB when the top gear is turned on, which is better than most of the previous models in the same class.
In the static interior vibration test, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ steering wheel vibrated 0 at idle and under load. At the same time, the vibration values of the front and rear seats in the car are also the same in both states, both of which are 0.1 mm/s, which has little impact on comfort, and the overall performance is excellent.
In addition, we tested the parking radar, lights/visibility, handling system, tires, sunroof, seats, trunk. After testing, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ has a general range of steering wheel adjustment, the front seats support leg rest adjustment, the seat cushion length can be extended or shortened according to demand, and the sports style seats are good for wrapping and comfort. Because the size of the rearview mirror is larger, the blind spot of the rear vision is smaller, which is worthy of praise. However, the maximum detection distance of the front radar of the vehicle is short and needs to be optimized.
2. Subjective feelings
This project is subjectively evaluated by a number of reviewers on the actual performance of the new car in terms of static and dynamic aspects. Among them, the static aspect includes four parts: exterior, interior, space and human-computer interaction, and the dynamic aspect includes five parts: acceleration, braking, steering, driving experience and driving safety. In the end, the total score is given based on the subjective evaluation opinions of the reviewers, and the actual performance of the new car in terms of commerciality is reflected from the perspective of subjective feelings.
In the external perception evaluation, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ features the AMG version's exclusive Sporty Styling Package, with a waterfall grille and a new front bumper shape, which brings a striking visual effect and is highly recognizable. The test car is equipped with features such as automatic headlights, adaptive high and low beams, and turn headlights. The trunk supports electric and inductive opening, which is excellent for daily use. The 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ is equipped with keyless entry for the whole car, and the measured sensing sensitivity is good.
In the internal experience evaluation, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ instrument cluster and center console display adopt a dual-screen design, which enhances the sense of technology. The red + black color scheme, combined with the silver trim and AMG sports steering wheel, comprehensively enhances the sporty atmosphere of the interior. The multi-function buttons of the steering wheel are mainly touch-based, and the operation is not as direct as the physical buttons. At the same time, the storage compartment cover on the rear center armrest will occasionally jam when opened, and I don't know if it is a test drive case. The whole car provides 7 USB Type-C charging ports, 3 in the front and 4 in the rear, although there are a large number, but the compatibility is average.
Although it is a mid-to-large SUV, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ does not have a lot of rear legroom, and is only comparable to some domestic luxury mid-size SUVs with an extended rear wheelbase. The middle of the rear platform is not very protruding, so that the comfort of the rear middle passenger will not be very bad. The performance of the review car in terms of storage space is average, and it is not equipped with a glasses case, and the position of the wireless charging pad for the mobile phone in the front row is slightly awkward, which is not very convenient to hold and put the phone.
In terms of human-computer interaction, say "Hello, Mercedes-Benz", and the car-machine system will respond, but in most cases, it needs to wait for 1-2s, and the response speed is not very fast. The voice system supports hardware functions such as navigation and air conditioning, and the intelligent voice system has a high recognition rate, and can also accurately recognize some commonly used fuzzy speech semantics.
The evaluation car is equipped with a 3.0T inline 6-cylinder engine, a large displacement engine with sufficient low-speed torque output, and the blessing of a 48V starting motor, the vehicle starts very smoothly, and the vibration of automatic start and stop is also very subtle. As a high-performance SUV, the actual power performance of the vehicle is very good, and the power output is linear, even if the accelerator is pressed deep in the medium and high speed conditions, the speed of the vehicle will increase rapidly.
The vehicle offers a wide range of driving modes to choose from, and the standard/comfort mode is more recommended for daily driving, and the power delivery is linear enough. In Sport mode, the gearbox delays upshifts to keep the engine in the higher rev range, and the throttle response is very responsive, with a noticeable push-back feel. In addition to the preset modes, the vehicle also offers a custom mode that the driver can set to their liking.
In terms of braking feeling, the tuning of the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ is in line with its positioning, even in the early stage, there is almost no false position, and the braking force is released very linearly, giving the driver a strong sense of security. When braking at full strength, the body posture is maintained well, and there is no noticeable nodding situation.
Although it is a mid-to-large SUV, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ does not feel bulky, and the front of the car is precise and directive, so the driver can know the status of the vehicle at all times. The addition of variable steering ratio has improved the agility of the vehicle to a certain extent. The feedback of the steering wheel can be adjusted according to different modes to meet the different needs of the driver.
The chassis of the evaluation car adopts a combination of front double wishbone independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension, plus the help of air suspension, the dynamic performance of the vehicle can meet the multiple needs of the driver. With the different modes set up, you can switch between comfort and sport at will. The chassis can be effectively filtered in the face of bumps in the road, and can give the body sufficient support when quickly passing through corners or merging at high speeds.
The 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ is equipped with a Level 2 driver assistance system, which is relatively linear in full-speed adaptive cruise acceleration and deceleration, and supports 4 gears to adjust the following distance, and the distance between the nearest gear and the front car is moderate, making it less likely to be congested by other vehicles.
Summary:
Based on the results of the above tests, the overall performance of the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ in terms of objective data and subjective perception met the expectations of the expert jury. At the level of objective data, the uniformity of the body gap and the thickness of the paint film can be satisfied, but the seams and spraying process of individual parts need to be improved. In addition, there is room for optimization in the sunroof opening area and radar spacing control. In terms of subjective feelings, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ performs well in terms of driving experience and ride comfort, but it also has the flaws of charging port compatibility and small storage space. Overall, the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ is in the upper echelon of the 2024 AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ in its class.