Mercedes-AMG GLE63 vs Ford Ranger

What's the difference?

There’s little wonder the GLE63 S is back for a second go around, after  clearly putting the frighteners on the Audi RS Q8 and BMW’s X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition.

After all, it’s a large SUV that sacrifices little in the way of practicality (especially the wagon) in its pursuit of high performance.

And for that reason, we’re itching to go for another drive – with or without the family.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

The Ford Ranger PHEV is an impressive plug-in hybrid ute. Its positives – including equipment, comfort and capability as well as acting as a novel power source for your job-site or campsite – will appeal to those who might otherwise prefer a diesel Ranger, but it comes at a cost. The Ranger has a bigger price-tag than the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha, and offers less than those two competitors in terms of battery capacity and electric-only driving range. The Ranger brand has a strong following in Australia though, and the plug-in version will likely attract its fair share of fans.

First things first, the new GLE63 S is available in two body-styles, with the wagon appealing to the traditionalists out there, while the coupe targets the style-conscious.

Either way, few large SUVs are as imposing as the GLE63 S, which is a good thing considering it wants to be taken seriously.

Up front, it’s immediately identifiable as a Mercedes-AMG model thanks to its distinctive Panamericana grille insert.

The angry look is punctuated by the angular daytime running lights integrated into the Multibeam LED headlights, while the chunky front bumper has large air intakes.

Around the side, the GLE63 S stands out with its aggressive wheelarch extensions and side skirts, with the wagon getting 21-inch alloy wheels as standard, while the coupe gets 22-inch items.

From the A-pillars onwards, the differences between the wagon and coupe body-styles start to become apparent, with the latter’s roofline much more steeply raked.

At the rear, the wagon and coupe differentiate themselves even more clearly with their unique tailgates, LED tail-lights and diffusers. That said, they do have a sports exhaust system with squared-off quad tailpipes in common.

It’s worth mentioning that the difference in body-style also means a difference in dimensions, with the coupe 7mm longer (4961mm) than the wagon, despite having a 60mm-shorter wheelbase (2935mm). It’s also 1mm narrower (2014mm) and 66mm shorter (1716mm).

Inside, the GLE63 S separates itself with its flat-bottom steering wheel with Dinamica microfibre accents, and multi-contour front seats, which are upholstered in Nappa leather alongside the armrests, dashboard and door shoulders and inserts.

The door bins are of the hard plastic variety. That’s underwhelming in a vehicle that costs this much, as you would hope cow hide – or at least a soft-touch material – would be applied to them.

The black headliner acts as another reminder of its performance focus, and while it makes for a darker cabin, metallic accents feature throughout, while the trim (our test vehicle had open-pore wood) adds some variety alongside the ambient lighting.

That said, the GLE63 S is still filled to the brim with cutting-edge technology, including two 12.3-inch displays, with one the central touchscreen and the other a digital instrument cluster.

Both use Mercedes’ MBUX multimedia system and feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. This set-up is still the benchmark, thanks to its speed and breadth of functionality and input methods, including always-on voice control and a touchpad.

The Ranger’s appearance mostly stays the same except for a few little things – inside and out – that indicate this is a PHEV.

For starters, there are the little blue EV triangles on the rego plates, PHEV badging on the front wheel arches, as well as an electric charging port over the rear-left wheel arch, and the tub’s raised base to compensate for the battery underneath.

Inside, it has the 12-inch vertically-oriented touchscreen system up front rather than the 10.1-inch version in ‘normal’ Rangers.

It also has an EV button on the centre console which the driver uses to cycle through the EV driving options: Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge.

Our test vehicle has the optional General Grabber all-terrain tyres (255/65R18) and matching spare, as well as Asphalt Black 18-inch alloy wheels.

In terms of dimensions, it is 5403mm long (incl. tow receiver), its wheelbase is 3270mm, it’s 2207mm wide (with wing mirrors out), 1883mm high and has a listed kerb weight of 2566kg.

For reference, the Cannon Alpha PHEV is 5445mm long (with a 3350mm wheelbase), 1991mm wide and 1924mm high; while the BYD Shark 6 is 5457mm long (with a 3360mm wheelbase), 1971mm wide and 1925mm high.

Interesting to note, the battery, wiring and 240V outlets for now prevent the tub being removed in order to fit a tray or canopy. But the aftermarket will soon figure out how to do that.

The tub is standard Ranger stuff, with a sturdy-looking liner, four fixed-in-place tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet, and LED lighting – but it also has two sliding tie-down points mounted high on each inner sidewall of the tub and that adds some flexibility to the cargo area.

Noteworthy is the fact that the Ranger has a built-in step on both exterior sides of the tub towards the rear, providing a safe place in which to put your foot when you want to gain a higher position in order to pack or adjust something in the cargo area, or even climb into the tub.

Being a large SUV, you’d expect the GLE63 S to be quite practical, and it is, but what you wouldn’t expect is the coupe to have 25L more cargo capacity than the wagon, at a generous 655L, due to its higher window line.

That said, when you stow the 40/20/40 split-fold rear bench via the second row’s release latches, the wagon has a significant 220L advantage over the coupe, at a cavernous 2010L, thanks to its boxier design.

Either way, there’s a small load lip to contend with, making loading bulkier items a little more difficult, although that task can be made easier with the flick of a switch, as the air springs are able to lower the load height by a handy 50mm.

Better yet, four tie-down points are on hand to help secure loose items,  alongside a couple of bag hooks, while a space-saver spare resides under the flat floor.

In the second row, things are even better, with the wagon offering a crazy amount of legroom behind our 184cm driving position, as well as two inches of headroom for me.

With its 60mm-shorter wheelbase, the coupe naturally sacrifices some legroom, but it still provides three inches of legroom, while its sloping roofline trims headroom to an inch.

No matter the body-style, the five-seat GLE63 S is wide enough to seat three adults abreast with few complaints, with the transmission tunnel on the smaller side, meaning there’s plenty of room for feet.

There’s also plenty of room for child seats, with two ISOFIX and three top-tether anchorage points on hand for fitting them.

Amenities-wise, rear occupants are treated to map pockets on the front-seat backrests, as well as a fold-down armrest with two cupholders, while the door bins can accommodate a couple of regular bottles each.

A  fold-out cubby is positioned below the air vents at the rear of the centre console, containing two slots for smartphones as well as a pair of USB-C ports.

In the first row, occupants have access to the centre console’s cubby, which features two temperature-controlled cupholders, in front of which are a wireless smartphone charger, two USB-C ports and a 12V power outlet.

The central storage bin is pleasingly large and contains another USB-C port, while the glovebox is also on the larger side, and you get an overhead sunglasses holder too. Stunningly, the front door bins can take three regular bottles apiece. Not bad.

While the wagon has a large, square rear window, the coupe’s is a letterbox in comparison, so rearward visibility isn’t one of its strong suits.

The Ranger PHEV retains what’s good about the ‘normal’ Ranger: a practical and comfortable interior with busy tech.

In fact, the Ranger’s interior has become so familiar over the years that. with its clean layout and user-friendly setup, it’s an easy space in which to spend many hours.

The Sport gets leather upholstery and plenty of soft-touch surfaces mixed in with the life-ready durability of plastic sections.

Upfront, the aforementioned 12-inch touchscreen system is a labyrinth of menus and sub-menus, but it’s easy to get your head around if you give yourself enough time to figure out where everything is.

If it’s charging you’re after there are USB-A and USB-C ports upfront and a wireless charging pad.

Storage? There’s a centre console receptacle, bottle holders in the doors, and cupholders upfront, and in the back-row armrest.

This Ranger’s front seats are as comfortable as usual: supportive and adjustable in numerous ways to suit the user – power-adjustable for the driver, manual for the front-seat passenger.

There’s plenty of head room in this cabin, even with the optional ceiling-mounted panel of auxiliary switches fitted to our test vehicle to offer aftermarket-style operational versatility.

The rear seats are, as expected, not as comfortable as the front seats but are more than adequate. Passengers back there have access to cupholders in the fold-down armrest, as well as an air-con control panel, USB-A and USB-C ports, a 230V power outlet, and dual air vents in the back of the centre console.

As for the tub, it’s 1605mm long, 1520mm wide (1217mm between the wheel arches), 498mm deep and has a listed load height of 878mm.

For securing loads, it has four tie-down points, and the Adventure pack’s cargo management system (moveable tie-down points in rails on the tub’s inner sidewalls).

It also has two 15A power outlets (3.45kW each) in the tub, connected to this Ranger’s Pro Power On-Board system which uses the battery pack to provide power through those points, and it can provide up to 6.9kW of output via three 240V plugs and a 10-amp outlet inside the cabin with 2.3kW of output – for a total capacity of 6900W.

This Ranger does not have a 12V outlet in the tub.

While the raised tub floor reduces the tub’s packability and the battery weight affects payload, the benefit here is that you can use the Ranger as a job-site or campsite generator, letting it run/charge the battery even while the vehicle itself is switched off and locked.

You can charge the Ranger at home – a Mode 2 home charging cable is supplied – using a standard 240V wall socket. The 11.8kWh battery takes about seven hours to charge on a 10A outlet, or about four hours on a 15A socket. I charged it from 0 to 68 per cent in about five hours off 10A power at home.

The Ranger PHEV does not offer DC fast-charging, but you can use EV Charge mode when you’re driving and away from power as that effectively turns the petrol engine into a generator: great for when you want to use the onboard Pro Power set-up to run 240V appliances on your work site or in camp.

This ute’s optional full-size spare is mounted under the tub.

The Ford Ranger PHEV is available in four specs: the base XLT, the Sport (our test vehicle), Wildtrak and Stormtrak.

At time of writing, the Sport is $75,990 before on-road costs. For reference, the bi-turbo version costs $66,390, the V6 costs $71,340, the BYD Shark starts at $57,900, while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV kicks off from $59,990.

Standard features in the Sport include 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), leather-accented heated front seats with electric adjustment, wireless charging and a suite of driver-assist tech.

It also has full-time 4WD, EV drive modes, 18-inch alloys, 6.9kW Pro Power Onboard system, 18-inch wheels, LED lighting, adaptive cruise control, stop-and-go technology, traffic-sign recognition and lane centring.

Gear, like a 360-degree view monitor, can be included onboard this Ranger as part of one of the available optional packs.

Our test vehicle’s price (including all options and on-road costs) hits the $89,340 mark because it does have the optional Adventure Pack ($500), available on XLT, Sport and Wildtrak, which includes the cargo management system (rails in the tub), and six auxiliary ceiling-mounted switches in the cabin. It also has the Technology Pack ($950), available on Sport, which includes Pro Trailer Back-up Assist and a 360-degree camera.

Colours include Frozen White (no-cost option) or you can choose from Agate Black, Blue Lightning, Carbonised Grey, Iconic Silver and Lucid Red (on our test vehicle), each of which costs $700.

The GLE63 S is powered by Mercedes-AMG’s ubiquitous 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, with this version pumping out a hard-hitting 450kW of power at 5750rpm and 850Nm of torque from 2250-5000rpm.

But that’s not all, because the GLE63 S also has a 48V mild-hybrid system called EQ Boost.

As its name suggests, it has an integrated starter-generator (ISG) that can provide up to 16kW and 250Nm of electric boost in short bursts, which means it can also reduce the sensation of turbo lag.

Mated to a nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with paddle-shifters, and Mercedes-AMG’s fully variable 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, the GLE63 S sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, in either body-style.

The Ford Ranger PHEV Sport has a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 138kW and 411Nm and an electric motor – producing 75kW (no torque figure available) – and a 11.8kWh battery.

This PHEV’s engine runs the show, with the electric motor (which is between the engine and transmission) on support duties, which is the opposite of how the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha operate.

Maximum combined power and torque outputs in the Ranger PHEV – from combined petrol engine and electric motor – are 207kW and 697Nm.

For reference, BYD claims outputs of 321kW and 650Nm and a 100km electric range for the Shark 6, by way of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, dual electric motors and a 29.58kWh battery. GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV has listed outputs of 300kW and 750Nm, as well as a 110km NEDC range from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, single electric motor, and 37.1kWh battery.

The Ranger PHEV has a 10-speed automatic transmission, a rear diff lock, and full-time 4WD. This set-up has selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be safely used on high-traction surfaces, such as bitumen.

The hybrid system has four drive modes – Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge.

Driver-selectable modes include Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Sport.

The GLE63 S’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) varies, with the wagon achieving 12.4L/100km, while the coupe needs 0.2L more. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are 282g/km and 286g/km respectively.

When you consider the high level of performance on offer, all of these claims are fairly reasonable. And they’re made possible by the engine’s cylinder-deactivation technology and the 48V EQ Boost mild-hybrid system, which has coasting and extended idle-stop functionality.

That said, in our real-world testing with the wagon, we averaged 12.7L/100km over 149km. While that’s a surprisingly good result, its launch drive route mainly consisted of high-speed roads, so expect a much higher number in metropolitan areas.

And in the coupe, we averaged a higher but still respectable 14.4L/100km over 68km, although its launch  route purely involved high-speed country roads, and you know what that means.

For reference, the wagon has an 80L fuel tank, while the coupe has an 85L unit. Either way, the GLE63 S only takes more expensive 98RON premium petrol.

Official fuel consumption is 2.9L/100km on a combined cycle and official battery-only driving range is 45km.

Energy consumption is a claimed 18.7kWh/100km.

On this test, I recorded 9.6L/100km (it takes 95RON) and an average of 35km of EV driving range.

The Sport has a 70-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure – and a claimed EV range of 45km or so – I reckon you could reasonably expect a combined driving range (petrol and electric) of about 774km (729km plus 45km), or 764km (729km plus 35km – based on on-test figures).

For reference, the Ranger PHEV's smaller battery has 11.8kWh and a claimed electric-only driving range of 45km. The BYD Shark has a 29.58kWh battery for 100km of claimed electric driving range (battery will only go as low as 25 percent), while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV has a 37.1kWh battery (in two parts) for a claimed 110km of EV driving range.

Make no mistake, the GLE63 S is a big beast, but it certainly doesn’t act its size.

Firstly, the GLE63 S’s engine is an absolute monster, helping it to hunker down off the line and then charge on towards the horizon with serious vigour.

While there’s so much initial torque to begin with, you still get the added benefit of the ISG, which helps to eliminate lag as the new twin-scroll turbos spool up.

That said, acceleration isn’t always brutal, as the electronic stability control (ESC) is often quick to cut power when under full throttle in  first gear. Thankfully, engaging the ESC system’s Sport mode solves this issue.

This behaviour is somewhat ironic as the 4Matic+ system is seemingly never short of grip, with it's working hard to find the axle with the most traction, while torque vectoring and a rear limited-slip differential proportion torque from wheel to wheel.

Regardless, the transmission provides predictably smooth and predominantly timely gear changes, although they’re definitely not dual-clutch quick.

What’s more memorable, though, is the sports exhaust system, which keeps your neighbours relatively sane in the Comfort and Sport drive modes, but will drive them mad in Sport+, with hilarious crackles and pops heard loud and clear on the overrun.

It’s worth noting that while the sports exhaust system can be manually engaged in the Comfort and Sport drive modes via a switch on the centre console, it only makes the V8 rumble grow stronger, with the full effect only unlocked in Sport+.

Of course, there’s more to the GLE63 S experience, like the fact that  it somehow rides like a large SUV yet handles like a sports car.

The suspension’s air springs and adaptive dampers offer up a luxurious ride in the Comfort drive mode, with the GLE63 S wafting along with confidence. Not even its large-diameter alloy wheels pose too much of a threat to this quality on poorer country roads.

The ride is still more than liveable in the Sport drive mode, although the adaptive dampers become a  too firm in Sport+, with the ride becoming a little too jittery to be bearable.

Of course, the whole point of the adaptive dampers becoming progressively firmer is to help the GLE63 S handle even better, but the real revelations here are the active anti-roll bars and engine mounts, which effectively limit body roll to such a level that it’s almost imperceptible.

In fact, overall body control is impressive, with the GLE63 S not feeling like the 2.5-tonne-plus behemoth it is. It really has no right to attack corners the way it does, with the coupe feeling a touch tighter than the wagon, thanks to its 60mm-shorter wheelbase.

Further confidence is afforded by the sports brakes, which include 400mm discs with six-piston calipers up front. Yep, they wash away speed with ease, which is exactly what you’d hope for.

Also key to the handling is the electric power steering, which is speed-sensitive and has a variable ratio. It’s really quick in the wagon, and even more so in the coupe, thanks to its more direct tune.

Either way, this set-up is well-weighted in the Comfort drive mode, with plenty of feel and just the right amount of heft. That said, Sport and Sport+ make it gradually heavier, but neither make the driving experience better, so stick with the default setting.

Meanwhile, Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) levels are pretty good, although tyre roar is consistent at highway speeds, while wind whistle is prominent over the side mirrors when travelling above 110km/h.

From the get-go – after climbing in via chunky side steps and using a substantial grab handle for assistance – the PHEV offers a very similar driving experience to the ‘normal’ Ranger in terms of handling and ride quality.

And that’s to say, impressive.

It’s composed on the road with smooth acceleration and response through its engine-and-electric-motor setup and it’s also very quiet, courtesy of the EV side of operations.

The reach-and-rake adjustable steering has a nice balance to it and though this Ranger is a heavy vehicle and not particularly dynamic on-road, it’s an easy-driving ute.

The hybrid system has four drive modes – Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge – which all pretty much do what you think they do. It quickly becomes obvious the Ranger’s electric-only driving range is reached around the 30-35km mark. You can recharge the battery through regen braking and selecting the ‘EV Charge’ mode.

So, it’s decidedly smooth, comfortable and refined on-road, but how does it perform off-road?

The standard Rangers are very capable 4WDs, so there’s no need to doubt the PHEV’s bush-ability.

It’s a big ute with a 12.9m turning circle so it takes some considered driving to work it through the bush, especially if tracks are grown-over, but it handles most off-roading scenarios with aplomb.

The suspension setup – independent, double wishbones, and coil springs at the front and live axle with leaf springs at the rear – yields soft, mostly controlled ride and handling, but this ute becomes somewhat unsettled though more severe ruts, corrugations and mudholes.

The full-time 4WD system gives the driver the option of selecting 4A (four-wheel drive auto, centre diff unlocked) which means you can drive it in 4WD on sealed/high-traction surfaces without risking transmission wind-up.

The Ranger’s combination of off-road traction control, driving modes, dual-range transfer case, and rear diff lock make it very effective in the dirt or on sand.

While its ground clearance (listed as 228mm), off-road angles (approach: 30.1 degrees, departure 24.7 and rampover 20.6 degrees) won’t set any serious 4WDer’s imagination on fire, if it’s driven well this Ranger can cope with a vast scope of off-road challenges.

With a wading depth of 850mm we had no strife driving through a series of knee-deep mud holes on our test track.

I drove up and down several steep rocky hills without the need to lock the rear diff, and this Ranger did it with ease and control.

Engine braking in this hybrid is lacklustre, but thankfully hill descent control makes up for some of that.

The bonus with this ute though is that you can drive it in 4WD high-range in 'EV Now’ mode, which offers up instant torque – there’s no messing around trying to get your revs up – and that means there’s plenty of oomph to tackle hill-climbs.

In general 4WDing, there’s more than adequate torque available and it’s delivered in an even-handed manner. And the Ranger’s suite of off-road-focussed driver-assist tech is comprehensive and effective.

Even the Ranger’s all-terrain tyres (General Grabbers) are decent enough, though better suited to light to moderate off-roading than hardcore 4WDing.

In terms of load carrying and towing capacity, the Ranger PHEV Sport has a listed payload of 934kg (at 2566kg kerb weight, or 805kg payload at 2695kg maximum kerb weight) and is rated to tow 750kg (unbraked), and 3500kg (braked).

For comparison, the BYD Shark’s payload is 790kg, unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and braked towing capacity is 2500kg; while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV has a payload of 685kg, unbraked towing capacity of 750kg and braked towing capacity of 3500kg.

Remember, start adding people, gear and pets – not to mention aftermarket accessories – and you’ll swiftly be over legal limits. Always keep those figures in mind – gross vehicle mass, payload etc. – because all of those numbers come in handy when you're trying to figure out how much you can legally carry onboard your vehicle.

GVM (gross vehicle mass) on the Ranger PHEV Sport is 3500kg and its gross combination mass (GCM) is 6580kg.

The Ranger line-up has the maximum five star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.

As standard, it has nine airbags (front, side, knee and full-length curtain and far side driver front airbag) and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, and more.

The Ranger PHEV’s second row has an ISOFIX point on each outboard seat with top tethers for child restraints.

As with all Mercedes-AMG models, the GLE63 S comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which currently sets the standard for the premium market. It also comes with five years of roadside assistance.

Better yet, the GLE63 S’s service intervals are relatively long, at every year or 20,000km – whichever comes first.

It’s also available with a five-year/100,000km capped-price-servicing plan, but it costs $4450 in total, or an average of $890 per visit. Yep, the GLE63 S isn’t exactly cheap to maintain, but you expected that.

The Ford Ranger PHEV is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the battery.

Capped-price servicing applies for the first five years – $399 per service (reasonable) – with service intervals recommended at 12 months or 15,000km.

Ford Australia has about 200 dealers across the country with a decent spread across metro, rural and regional areas. Ford dealers are also service centres.