Mercedes-AMG GLE53 vs Mercedes-Benz E53

What's the difference?

You might have some traditional notions of what a 'sports car' is.

Low and light, slick and aerodynamic, purely mechanical and centred around the driver. These notions may have held true for a long time, but in an age where Lamborghini makes a Touareg-based super SUV is there room for those parameters to move?

Especially with consumer sentiment indicating the somewhat oxymoronic idea of a low-slung coupe SUV with an AMG powertrain is more than just a niche.

Mercedes told us the previous generation GLE coupe was a major success, amassing up to 25 per cent of the model line's sales split, and its research indicated  a buyer of this massive SUV was drawn to its "performance, style and technology" and was even "a motorsport fan."

Sounds like this buyer would have once been looking for a 'sports car' and like it or not, performance coupe SUVs are here to stay. But does the new GLE 53 Coupe really make for a compelling experience behind the wheel? We found out at its local launch.

You like performance, love a bit of luxury and fancy a traditional sedan. The budget is healthy and there’s a surprising amount of choice. But Mercedes-AMG believes it’s created the car that perfectly answers your new-car brief. 

The Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid 4Matic+ is a fresh expression of an established high-performance sedan formula mixing internal-combustion power with electric punch and all-wheel drive.

We were invited to its local launch, so stay with us to see if this newcomer is ready to fill that primo European performance car shaped space in your garage.