Behind the Wheel: 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53
As far as first impressions go, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 may be serving a serious luxury SUV. Yet, you’d be deeply mistaken if you think its only here to pamper and be pretty. One quick spin around town will quickly prove that the new GLE 53 has its sights set on impressive performance along with everything else.
Of course, the critical first step to top-of-the-line performance is a state-of-the-art engine. With its 20-year tradition of building nothing less than the best, AMG equips the very capable GLE 53 with a 3.0 liter Inline-6 turbo. Capable of quickly spooling out an impressive 429 hp. In the ongoing pursuit of smooth luxury and strong performance, an AMG Speedshift TCT transmission is used. Blessing us with nine forward gears that will blip by faster than you can blink an eye. Specifically tuned to the requirements of this particular in-line 6. Perfectly blending hardware and software for precision gear changes and fast reaction times.
To tackle those tight turns with ease, Mercedes-Benz pours even more magic into the GLE 53 formula. To help this big, heavy SUV achieve precise body movement, AMG developed a body roll stabilizer called Active Ride Control. Together with the ultra-compliant air suspension. Working in tandem to reduce body roll under hard cornering loads. Increasing ride comfort and overall handling precision, even when pushing the GLE to its limits.
Now we add in AMG’s 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. Performance-oriented like the rest of the package. Not your run-of-the-mill AWD system, but rather, one smart enough to keep Sarah Connor up at night. So advanced, that it continuously determines the best possible torque split between the front and rear axles. Delivering perfectly measured amounts of traction for straight-line acceleration, heavy cornering, and tackling any kind of tricky terrain you happen upon. No matter how loose or slippery. This super intelligent control system is engineered into the very architecture of the vehicle. Constantly consider your steering angle, the gear you’re in, and even the difference in rotational speed between the four wheels.
Whatever you throw at it, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 has a carefully calculated response. As an additional failsafe, an electronically controlled locking differential at the rear axle comes standard. Always at the ready to aggressively suppress any slip at the inner wheel when cornering hard. Further improving traction and stability. Letting you power out of corners faster and earlier than ever before. Traditional rules for entering and exiting a bend with considerable speed be damned.
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the 2022 AMG GLE 53 oozes curb appeal. Muscular, sleek and sexy. Distinctive in its design. Black air intakes, silver front splitter, a hood that ripples with power domes, and meaty tires. All of this and more, combine to attract many long, envious stares. In that jaw-dropping Emerald Green paint especially! On the inside, Mercedes-Benz continues to impress as few can. With open pore, oak wood trim, Nappa leather, satiny metals and ribbons of ambient lighting that dance through the cabin. Adjustable in color, adding a playful light show that’s especially enjoyable at night. The highest-quality materials, carefully arranged and layered, to spoil you more than most vehicles can.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE has always had a talent for offering both performance and luxury. The newest model continues this balancing act, luring you in with its beauty only to surprise you with its brawny power. It’s easy just to stuff a big engine into a large SUV. To do it with this much engineering, though. Where every single one of its many, many individual horsepowers
are delivered in a manner so sophisticated and intelligent that you’ll feel confident no matter what surprises are around the bend. Now that’s a truly remarkable achievement.
