Auto123 reviews the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe is the coupe-style version of the German luxury automaker's classic GLE. Some like the style and some don’t, but there are enough fans of the genre that several SUVs are now available in coupe form. Here to stay, or a passing trend?
As you may have noticed, it's not really a coupe. Counting the doors gives a total of 4, and only the arched rear end gets a proper coupe-like design. To us, this gives a little more of a sporty character to an otherwise classically shaped large SUV. Thus, for an extra $2,000, you can get a luxury GLE that’s different from your neighbor's.
Wait, what? We're asked to pay $2,000 to lose rear passenger and trunk space?
In a word, yes. It's up to you if you want to sacrifice 6.5 cm of rear seat height, plus make it harder for taller passengers to get in and out. As for the trunk, compared to the classic GLE's trunk space, which ranges from 954 to 2,120 litres (with the rear seats up and down), the Coupe offers only 779 and 1790 litres, respectively. Again, it's up to you to decide if you're willing to sacrifice practicality for looks. If these looks you like.
Exterior design
Our GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ Coupe visually reflects everything AMG can deliver in terms of performance. Starting with the grille, the tone is set from the first glance. Already, the Coupe style gives the impression of athletic agility, but AMG injects steroids. Air intakes and hood ribs accentuate the sporty design.
In profile view, the side skirts and wheel arches are in the body tone and the mirror housings, in black, give the beast a racy character. The Coupe comes standard with 22-inch light-alloy wheels with AMG lettering. These wheels are available with a matte black finish as an option.
At the back, the rear apron is AMG-specific with striking black-painted diffusers that incorporate a special AMG exhaust system with dual rectangular high-gloss chrome tips. Further customization possibilities are offered by the optional AMG Night Package. This includes front air dam and front apron trim, side skirt trim, mirror housings and window frames in a distinguished black tone. To top it all off, the dual exhaust tips are finished in an elegant high-gloss black.
The interior also reflects the ultra-sporty exception of this model. The AMG seats, covered in Nappa leather, offer exceptional lateral support and feature an upholstery pattern specific to this version, with AMG badging on the front-row seatbacks. Other leather variants are available for an additional charge and include upholstery with grey seat belts and silver-grey contrast stitching on the seats. Individually adjustable ambient lighting is standard equipment.
The seats are heated and ventilated, with the controls located on the door panels. Be aware that depending on the sport package you take, the heated steering wheel option may not be available.
Once you get behind the wheel, you're faced with two 12.3-inch high-definition digital screens that blend together to appear as a single display panel about two feet long. The part facing the driver is not touch-sensitive, while the central one is. It can also be controlled via the touchpad, which allows you to select different options, but not without some, um, difficulty. Fortunately, Mercedes has integrated several redundant buttons for radio functions, driving mode or simply controlling the center console.
Fact is, on several occasions we avoided using the touchpad because it's so difficult to really master. We experimented with it on several other Mercedes vehicles and the conclusion is the same: it's a slog! And it's even worse if you use Apple CarPlay. You'll have to use the touchscreen to navigate the car. Just goes to show, even a near-perfect vehicle has some flaw, somewhere.
The controls on the steering wheel, meanwhile, are blessedly precise, efficient and easy-to-use touch buttons. Those on the lower part of the AMG steering wheel allow the driver to easily adjust the parameters that are essential to the driving dynamics. The rotary knob on the right side of the steering wheel allows the driver to select one of seven drive settings, including Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual, Race, Track and Sand. These different modes modify key parameters such as engine, transmission, suspension and steering responses.
The engine
First of all, you should know that this vehicle is a hybrid. Yes, you read that right. The 4.0L AMG twin-turbo V8 engine in this GLE 63 S Coupe has an integrated starter-alternator called EQ Boost. This means that there is an electric motor integrated between the engine and the transmission.
The result is an additional 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque that can be used temporarily for more spontaneous acceleration. This small electric motor is also used for the vehicle's hybrid functions, namely supercharging, energy recovery and the use of the automatic stop/start function, which is one of the most imperceptible we’ve seen in any vehicle recently.
The result is 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, harnessed by a 9-speed Speedshift transmission and delivered to all 4 wheels by the excellent 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system. The latter can transfer all the power to the rear wheels shod with 325/35/22 Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, which certainly help to keep the rear end of this vessel glued to the ground.
In the real world, sure there's 603 hp under the hood, but you also have to move 5,390-lb worth of machine. That’s not a problem with this powertrain - the GLE 63 S Coupe is capable of 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds while sticking you with a goofy kid-in-a-candy-store kind of grin. As for the suspension, once again, you get the best, with the adaptive air suspension able to absorb just about all road imperfections.
Conclusion
The GLE 63 S Coupe certainly has more than one card up its sleeve. It's fun to drive, powerful, comfortable and luxurious. What's more, you won't go unnoticed behind the wheel.
But you’ll have to have a little chat with your banker to get one. Deep pockets are essential to afford this little toy. Spend the minimum $133,000 and you've got an almost-naked model. Add a few comfort and safety options, and the overall bill swells to well over $150,000. That's not counting the user fees.
Yes, it's powerful and glues a huge smile on your face with every acceleration, but its fuel consumption will be directly proportional to the width of your smile! If it's any consolation, it still consumes less fuel than the BMW X6 M.
We like
Power
Luxury
Pleasure in daily use
We like less
The cost, and the costs
Many options
Coupé-style looks not for everyone
The competition
BMW X6 M
Audi RS Q8
Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo
