Personally, I stuck with heavier steering and a more relaxed powertrain even though the GLE 63 is the high-performance model. A little more feel through the steering wheel would be welcome, but the rack is a responsive one, and you can get it to weigh up by using Individual drive mode, which lets you set specific settings for the powertrain and chassis. At over 2,500 kg, it’s no lightweight and you will feel it as the turns accumulate and the body starts moving around more, but it takes a lot to get it unsettled when it comes to handling. No surprise, the GLE 63 is a fine handler. When it comes time to slow things down, it takes pressure off the gas engine, saving fuel in the process.Īnd fear not, the V8 still sounds absolutely ferocious, delivering an ear-bending mix of old-school muscle car and GT racer. Power interruption between shifts is basically imperceptible and it allows for acceleration no matter the speed you’re at or the gear you’re in. Straight power is one thing, but the way the mild hybrid system steps in to help you off the line and improve power delivery as you move through the gears is really the highlight. Indeed, the GLE AMG 63 S has a very, very good powertrain. That all gets transmitted to the wheels – two or four, depending on conditions – via a 9-speed torque-converter auto transmission, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. This fire-breathing twin-turbo V8 mild hybrid is good for 625 hp and a colossal 812 lb-ft. Then you have the GLE 53 AMG 3.0L (451 hp, 561 lb-ft) and the GLE AMG 63 S model we tested. Power comes courtesy of three engines (four if you include the two tunes one of them gets), all mild hybrids for 2024. That shouldn’t be, and there are vehicles out there – not all of them luxury ones - providing infotainment systems that are slick-looking and powerful, but easier to operate. Yes all this info is available, with different ways of accessing it, but fact is I had to spend 12 minutes finding certain basic menus. That’s all good, but the sheer amount of data on the screens can be overwhelming certain versions of the gauges look busy. With all that joining the augmented reality navigation system, you have a very robust on-board computer. There’s also “hey Mercedes” voice control, now more responsive and open to more commands than previous, and there are new cameras allowing you to see what’s happening below you when off-roading. The infotainment display can be controlled either by a thumbpad on the right wheel spoke, via touchscreen or by a touchpad mounted atop the transmission tunnel. You also get the twin spoke-mounted dials, one of which is for adjusting the drive mode, the other for everything from adjusting damper settings to exhaust note. The steering wheel has been redesigned, adding more responsive buttons but still featuring the same oddly shaped plastic shift paddles. That’s also what you use to toggle the heads-up display, although you do have to remember to swipe up from the main menu to get there. It's possible to customize and modify the gauge cluster with a touchpad mounted to the left steering wheel spoke. For 2024, we see the arrival of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was a long time coming considering much less expensive SUVs and CUVs already offer it. On the tech front, this is ultra-slick with its twin digital displays for gauges/infotainment, jeweled Burmester audio speakers (a Mercedes-Benz staple that now gets Dolby Atmos support), metallicized climate and audio controls and high-quality leather seats and door inserts.
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