The profile view of this vehicle is one of a car that has been lifted up on a taller stance. It seems to be a strange look to have a vehicle this raked to have four doors and set up on an SUV platform, but this is what the market calls for. Even though the first glance at this SUV makes you think a tuner was just playing around, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe isn’t hiding in its name and shows off as an SUV coupe in every way you could think of. Just look at the way the back is raked, it nearly appears to be completely devoid of headroom for any backseat passengers.
With the shape and look out of the way, let’s see what this SUV coupe has to offer us. First off, the engine of the base model, the GLE450 AMG, brings us a 3.0-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 362 horsepower. This excellent engine is mated to a smooth shifting nine-speed automatic transmission to give you the luxury ride you want or allow you to push the accelerator pedal to the floor and see exactly what 362 horses in a lightweight SUV can do.
The GLE Coupe comes with a semi-self-driving function that uses a wide variety of cameras and radar points to help guide the vehicle. This is not an autonomous function and you need to keep in mind it’s important to stay alert, but with this mode you can relax your feet and hands for a few seconds at a time to have a more enjoyable ride. The self-driving time for the GLE Coupe is about seven seconds, but these intervals can give you a short break from the drive to relax and give your hands and feet a break. This can be a huge benefit when in stop and go traffic as you won’t need to give the vehicle many inputs and the GLE can handle following without your help.
You will love the suite of safety and technology included in this SUV. This package includes lane keep assistance, adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation and much more. The drive from behind the wheel gives you the enjoyment of light steering and a full suite of monitors and gauges to give you all the information you want so that you can understand what’s happening underneath your vehicle.
Looking across the dashboard you will immediately gaze at the 8.0-inch touchscreen that is used to operate the COMAND infotainment system from Mercedes-Benz. The seating is comfortable and easy for you to slide in and be comfortable. The main concern of this vehicle is the rear headroom, which is surprisingly plentiful considering the way the roofline is swept back.
The roofline does lead to a couple factors that you must take into consideration before purchase. The rear cargo space is limited to only a small area and the rake of the roof creates skinny windows in the rear which can hamper the visibility you’re used to when driving. Once you’ve taken these two factors into account, if this is still the SUV for you, the GLE Coupe is one that will have heads turning all around you as you drive it around town or out to your weekend destination.
This is not a vehicle for the faint of heart or for those who want more practicality. The GLE Coupe has been built to offer a signature look and feel in a coupe-style SUV that is one of the only SUVs on the market with this shape and style. Even though the price is a bit higher than other luxury SUVs in this class you can certainly enjoy the drive and the features of the GLE Coupe while driving a vehicle that has a look that is unique in the SUV world.
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