Hofele’s Visual Pizzazz Works Wonders on Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

While most of us wouldn’t be too inclined to call 2020 a successful year, it would appear Mercedes-Benz has a little something going for itself; in terms of U.S. market sales, that is. In 2019, Daimler was dethroned by its Bavarian neighbor, but Stuttgart’s auto giant has promptly returned to form in the first half of 2020. As such, the Three-Pointed Star reclaimed its place at the very pinnacle of the luxury automakers food chain, at least for the time being.

Sure enough, the manufacturer’s SUV lineup brought about a significant contribution to this feat. In the aforementioned timeframe, the German firm managed to sell over 9,500 units of their GLE-Class entities alone. To be fair, that’s not bad at all, considering the sheer abundance of unforeseen events that’ve been plaguing the world this year.

Anyhow, the GLE Coupe just so happens to be my favorite of the bunch. I mean, this bad boy does a neat job at keeping things classy (no pun intended), after all. Take, for instance, the mid-range variant from Daimler’s gasoline-powered family – the GLE 450. It is brought to life by a ferocious 3.0-liter inline-six powerplant that hosts an integrated EQ Boost module.

The engine has a total of 24 valves and a redline of 6,800 rpm. At approximately 5,500 revs, this nasty animal is capable of producing up to 362 hp, while a fiendish torque output of 369 pound-feet (500 Nm) will be accomplished between 1,600 and 4,000 rpm.

A nine-speed G-Tronic automatic gearbox is tasked with channeling the mill’s power to a 4Matic all-wheel-drive setup. Ultimately, this whole shebang leads to a respectable 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration time of just 5.7 seconds. Additionally, the GLE 450’s top speed is electronically governed at 130 mph (210 kph).

Right, that’s all fine and dandy, but the GLE 580 is where the real party’s at. Its ruthless 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 colossus will deliver 483 hp at optimal rpm, accompanied by as much as 516 pound-feet (700 Nm) of monstrous twisting force at 2,000 rpm.

On the other hand, the range-topping diesel model is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six behemoth that’ll generate a solid 326 ponies between 3,600 and 4,200 revs. At around 1,200 rpm, its torque output figure is identical to that of a GLE 580.

Now, if you’re the owner of a GLE Coupe and think that your Merc could really do with some juicy visual refinements to match the feral oomph housed by its engine bay, then the pros over at Hofele are your guys. These German aftermarket gurus developed a handsome visual enhancement kit that’ll have your SUV look the business.

In terms of exterior tweaks, you will find a glorious two-tone color scheme enveloping its sleek bodywork. It is joined by a magnificent selection of subtle refinements that serve to let everyone know this isn’t your regular GLE.

These items include the tuner’s unmistakable grille and badging, as well as several discrete chrome trimmings. Oh, and of course, Hofele’s customers may pick between 22-inch multi-spoked hoops or a set of humungous 24-inch wheels to complement the fresh visual upgrades.

To make it all come together as a comprehensive package, the auto magicians will even go as far as treating the Merc’s interior to a healthy dose of personalized goodness. As you’d expect from a firm of this caliber, only top-shelf materials are used to achieve this overhaul, such as Alcantara and Nappa leather.

All things considered, there are some tuners out there that could learn a thing or two about subtlety from Hofele’s approach. Yes, Mansory, that’ll definitely be you.