2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Ready To Take On BMW X6

We don't know why BMW created the X6, let alone introduced a redesigned model since they really don't sell that many. In November, the company only moved 421 units. But that isn't stopping the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi from joining the fun. Mercedes-Benz has revealed the 2016 GLE Coupe.

GLE is the first Mercedes-Benz model to follow the company's new nomenclature for SUVs and will be the sister model to the upcoming GLE (known currently as the ML-Class).

The overall design is very much Mercedes' take on X6's design with similar roofline profile, high beltline, and taillights. There are elements of the CLA in the front-end with a tall, upright grille and large headlights with LEDs on the inner edge. Inside is a mix of the current centerstack layout found on Mercedes' SUVs with the floating screen on newer Mercedes' sedans. There's also a flat-bottom steering wheel and gauges that change their look dependent on the driving mode.

Only one powertrain has been announced for North America for the time being. That happens to be GLE 450 AMG (first of the AMG Sport models) which packs a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 with 362 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. This is paired up to a new nine-speed automatic and 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

No official word of whether or not we'll see the GLE at the Detroit Auto Show next month, but its likely possibility.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Press Release is on Page 2

Premiere: Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

• A sportier choice
  

December 09, 2014 - Stuttgart

Mercedes-Benz is combining two classes of vehicle – each with its own distinct style – to make a new model, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The sporty nature of a coupe dominates, imbued with the striking characteristics of a robust SUV. In addition to convincing on-road vehicle dynamics, the GLE Coupe looks impressive as well. With its flowing side contour, elongated and low greenhouse, striking radiator grille with central chrome louvre and rear end design, the GLE Coupe cites styling features typical of particularly sporty Mercedes-Benz models. In the U.S. market, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe features a biturbo V6 engine that produces 362 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque. In addition to the generous amount of standard equipment, the DYNAMIC SELECT dynamic handling control system, the Sports Direct-Steer system and the driver assistance systems typical of the brand, the GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe comes standard with the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive.

The GLE Coupe is the new addition to the successful portfolio of Mercedes-Benz coupes. Alongside the classic, two-door C, E and S-Class models and the four-door CLS- and CLA-Class coupes, the new coupe displays a highly individual interpretation of the physiognomy and light-footed approach typical of this family of vehicles. For example, the GLE Coupe displays attributes typical of coupes such as sportiness, dynamism and agility, while also exuding the self-assured presence, versatility and ruggedness of an SUV.

DYNAMIC SELECT dynamic handling control system: highly variable – from racy and sporty to poised and comfortable

The GLE Coupe feels like a true sports coupe. Despite the similarity to an SUV with its raised seating position and expansive all-round view, the occupants are led to believe that they are in sports rather than off-road mode. The sound is reminiscent of powerful sports cars, while the spontaneous and direct response to all commands is guaranteed to get your pulse racing. On the other hand, it can also create a superior feeling of calm, coupled with unshakeably serene driving dynamics. These two different worlds can normally only be experienced in two separate vehicles – an agile, thoroughbred sports coupe and an easy-going, comfortable SUV. But the new GLE Coupe is different: DYNAMIC SELECT enables a wide spread in the driving dynamics and combines these diametrical worlds of experience in a single vehicle – an automobile premiere.

GLE 450 AMG – the first AMG sports model

The balancing act between extremely sporty yet still comfortable has been mastered especially well in the GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe. As the first AMG sports model, the V6 top-of-the-range GLE Coupe enables an attractive entry to the world of the sports car and performance brand.

"The GLE 450 AMG Coupe is our first sports model, and further highly emotional and performance-oriented models will follow in the near future. The new product line from Mercedes-AMG has allowed us to make true sports car technology and the fascination of motorsports more accessible," says Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "Every vehicle from Affalterbach honors the brand promise of Driving Performance."

The new AMG sports models display impressive product substance and honor the promise of sports performance with a higher output class, standard all-wheel drive and also sophisticated chassis solutions. The variable dynamic control system assigns fundamentally different characteristics to the five transmission modes of INDIVIDUAL, COMFORT, SLIPPERY, SPORT and SPORT+, which the driver is able to select using a rotary control on the center console. The system networks all the control systems, generating different sets of parameters. The names speak for themselves: SPORT and SPORT+ turn the GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe into a sporty, dynamic vehicle with pronounced longitudinal and lateral dynamics. COMFORT is the opposite end of the spectrum. Here the emphasis is on the refined parameters so typical of classic Mercedes-Benz sedans, for relaxed, effortless cruising with the greatest possible energy efficiency. SLIPPERY optimizes the handling on surfaces with low friction coefficients such as snow or ice. In addition, INDIVIDUAL mode enables the driver to program and store personal preferences in the individual control strategies, regardless of the engine variant.

In the GLE 450 AMG 4MATIC Coupe, DYNAMIC SELECT not only modulates the "hard skills" such as the chassis and suspension, steering or powertrain. It is also possible to experience the selected mode more intensively on an emotional level because various "soft skills" such as the engine sound, instruments or dynamic control of the driving lights also vary. To this end, the nature of the various displays on the COMAND screen and in the cockpit changes according to the selected transmission mode. At the same time, the active light function of the all-LED headlamps respond more spontaneously and the engine produces the whole range of sounds from sporty and dominant to poised and restrained:

• If the driver selects COMFORT mode, the displays take on lesser importance and, like the engine, the dial instruments such as the rev counter show a relaxed response to the driver's commands. In combination with the comfort-oriented control of the powertrain and suspension, the result is a feel-good ambience at the level of a sedan. The engine sound is reduced to a pleasant timbre, and the feedback from the road surface and surroundings is considerably quieter in the interior.
  
• Things are very different when SPORT+ mode is selected. The character changes immediately, the gear changes performed by the 9G-TRONIC are acoustically accentuated, especially when downshifting with the double-declutch function, and the cockpit instruments respond faster and more "sharply". The large central display visualizes the longitudinal and lateral acceleration plus the steering angle with a photo-realistic motorsports graphic. The engine sound is powerful and acoustically underscores the sports mode. This setting removes any doubt: the GLE Coupe is a lively sports model of the highest order, and treats its occupants to a compelling world of experience.