It should come as no surprise to see another entry join the performance SUV space race. In this case, it's from the mad hatters at AMG.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 is set to join the three-pointed star's local ranks; offering a twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline-six with a mild hybrid 'EQ Boost' kick paired to a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The petrol portion of the powertrain makes 320kW of power and 520Nm of torque, with an additional maximum 16kW and 250Nm from the EQ Boost system.
All up, it's said to be good enough for it to hit 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Not bad for a big, practical SUV loaded with tech like parking assist, level 2 autonomy, Mercedes' wonderful MBUX infotainment paired to two 12.3-inch screens, and AMG Ride Control+ air suspension.
The latter's ability to prop the vehicle up and down helps with getting it out of trouble off-road, while also being capable of being configured to bounce the GLE up and down on the pavement like it's repeatedly bobbing for apples.
Read more: New Mercedes lands in NZ - we drive the GLE at home
Just one mainline spec of AMG GLE 53, loaded with things like Burmester audio, a panoramic roof, wireless charging, and all of the above as standard, is going to be offered in New Zealand. It'll be priced from $180,100 not including on-road costs.
Given that we rather like the standard Mercedes-Benz GLE line-up (as evidenced by its AA DRIVEN New Zealand Car of the Year Luxury SUV class victory last year), we expect this to be a very competitive fighter against the BMW X5 and Audi Q7's performance variants.
“As the inventors of the performance SUV, it is important to us to continue to be at the top with the new generation of the GLE when it comes to innovations, driving dynamics, individuality and design,” says Tobias Moers, Chief Executive of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
“The first step here is the new Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+, with which we offer our customers more power than the predecessor model as well as our fully variable all-wheel technology. Not least of all, its striking radiator grille shows our new GLE 53 as a fully-fledged member of the AMG family.”
To view Mercedes-Benz models listed for sale on Driven, click here
