There's a good chance that by the end of the next decade, most German cars will be like household appliances, powered exclusively by electricity. But right now, few cars embody the era of excess better than the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63.
This is a performance SUV with buckets of heritage, and the 4-liter V8 being slightly smaller than its predecessors honestly doesn't bother us. Sure, a highly modified 5.5-liter like you had in the old GL 63 sounds better, but for a stock setup, this system is pretty good.
Audi keeps complaining that the new decibel targets are messing with its performance cars, but from what we can tell, AMG is not affected. Maybe after Dieselgate, we'll learn about a Decibelgate where another German company cheats on its test. Soundgate? Exhaustgate? We should trademark these in advance.
It's pretty reasonable to expect the GLE 63 to have the same power output as the E63 - a maximum of 612 horsepower top-shelf S model. But there's an unknown in the equation, and that's the EQ Boost technology. There's already a mild-hybrid system adding power to the GLE 580, and that also has a 4-liter V8.
Whichever number Mercedes goes for, it will have to take the BMW X5 M into consideration, as well as the Audi RS Q8. 625 and 600 horsepower are the numbers you're wondering about, in both cases thanks to bi-turbo V8 engines.
As for the styling, the AMG model is clearly the best version of the new GLE. It has the best grille, intakes, and bodywork. The real exhaust pipes and super-sized alloys also get our vote of approval. But inside, you're still going to be in one of the most luxurious vehicles on the road, capable of cooling, heating or massaging every inch of your body while keeping an eye out for potential hazards.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News