In an event held right before the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mercedes Benz unveiled its Mercedes-AMG GLE63 crossover coupe.
The vehicle, which will be released to the consumer market in August this year, complements the company's GLE450 AMG sport coupe. The Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S 4Matic is a combination of the ML SUV and the E-Class sedan, and is being tagged as a competitor to the successful BMW X6.
The names of the GLE SUVs are the very first ones to feature the new naming convention of Mercedes, wherein all SUVs will begin with names with "GL" and "E" referring to the vehicle being a mid-sized one, as seen in the E-Class. These vehicles were the ones that were previously called the ML series.
The GLE line is tagged as a coupe by Mercedes despite featuring four doors. The all-wheel-drive vehicles will also feature several options for drivetrains. The GLE 450 AMG 4Matic packs a 362-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0L V6 engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission that allows the vehicle to take only 4.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 miles per hour to 60 mph. The Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S 4Matic, on the other hand, is powered by a 577-horsepower twin-turbo 5.5L V8 engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission that allows the vehicle to reach 60 mph in only 4.2 seconds.
Being a Mercedes-AMG vehicle, the SUV features a touch of luxury in the interiors, with Nappa leather-covered seats and a black Nappa-covered instrument panel. The vehicle also features several upgrade options, including performance boosting add-ons such as a sport exhaust system, a carbon fiber engine cover and 22-inch wheels. Buyers also get the option of upgrading the vehicle's stock sound system to one that is powered by Bang & Olufson devices.
Among all GLE coupes, there will be a list of standard features for safety such as collision prevention assistance systems, active roll stabilization and adaptive, heated windshield wipers.
Mercedes Benz usually showcases star-studded events in the announcement of new vehicles at the eve of the North American International Auto Show, and this year continues the tradition. Grammy-nominated musician Mayer Hawthorne was tapped by the luxury German car manufacturer to usher in the unveiling of the GLE line, as well as to introduce the C350 plug-in hybrid vehicle.
The C350 will be released to the market in the fall; first in states including California that currently have requirements in place for the sale of additional zero-emission cars.
