2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 4Matic Coupe

The first rule of customer service is that the customer is always right. If that's true, then the world's upmarket car buyers are to blame for the boom of fast SUVs and the decline of the sedans and coupes that usually make for a more rewarding driving experience.
It's a trend the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 4Matic coupe was built to exploit. Its name makes its mission clear: It's a car for anyone who wants a Mercedes-AMG version of Benz's mid-sized luxury ute but can't stretch for a V-8–powered 63 model, and it's for those drawn to SUVs that look (slightly) like coupes.

That might sound like two small niches, but the success of the previous-generation GLE43 coupe proved there was demand for both.

Ample Boost
Like the rest of the GLE-class, the 53 sits on a new platform and uses AMG's mildly hybridized powerplant that combines a turbocharged and electrically supercharged 3.0-liter inline-six with a 48-volt motor-generator for short bursts of assistance. The internal-combustion engine makes 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, and the electric motor kicks in up to 21 horses and 184 lb-ft only at lower engine speeds, and it does not change the total powertrain output. A nine-speed automatic is the only transmission option.

The engine's the same as in AMG's' E53 and CLS53 models, but the GLE's size and bulk means it has to work against a sizeable increase in mass. As a result, the engine feels markedly less brisk. With an estimated weight of 5250 pounds, we predict the GLE53 should scoot to 60 mph in five seconds flat. That's impressive, but it ultimately comes up short of filling the swear jar the way the truly fast SUVs do.

The engine has plenty of low-rpm grunt. Thanks to a 48-volt electric supercharger that works to supplement the turbocharger, there's no discernible lag, even at low speeds. It revs enthusiastically to a 6500-rpm redline but without the accelerating fireworks that AMG's 63 variants produce. The 53 can't quite match the Wagnerian crescendo of its V-8 siblings, but its soundtrack is still muscular when worked hard, and an active exhaust system adds a garnish of pops and bangs.

Impressive Composure
We drove the GLE53 on Pirelli P Zero Scorpion winter tires in Austria, on a route that featured twisting Alpine passes and freezing temperatures. While the AMG handled the slippery conditions well, its size and weight were evident on tight corners where the winter rubber made a graceful surrender to understeer with moderate provocation. The standard 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system does have a natural rearward torque bias. That was evident on ice and packed snow, where the GLE showed a playful side that wasn't as prevalent on dry roads.

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