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Mercedes gave its midsize GLE SUV another facelift for the 2027 model year, and since Mercedes is Mercedes, that means there are a small barrage of different versions of it that have received updates. My first-drive review of the Mercedes-Benz GLE published last week, and it includes a comprehensive explanation of the upgrades bestowed upon this seven-year-old model, many of which apply to today's subject, the Mercedes-AMG GLE53 plug-in hybrid.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE53 gains four important new letters in its name for 2027: PHEV. It starts with an AMG-enhanced version of the M256M Evo turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine, now with a 181-horsepower electric motor and a 25.3-kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery to crank up the performance. It comes in both SUV and slant-back coupe bodystyles, with prices starting at $98,400 for the former and $99,450 for the latter, including destination. That's a lot of dough, but the GLE53 PHEV is a lot of, well, a lot, considering it can be a zero-emission EV for dozens of miles, an efficient hybrid family hauler, or a full-on canyon carver.
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Full disclosure: Mercedes flew me out to Colorado, put me up in a lovely cabin, and fed me lots of mountain meats, all so I could sample its updated 2027 GLE and GLS lineups. Read my first-drive review of the standard GLE lineup here, and my review of the Mercedes-AMG GLS63 will publish next week.
Wait, don't we dislike Mercedes-AMG's PHEV performance cars?
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In the case of the four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance, yes, we bemoaned the loss of the prior C63 and its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 brutality, but here in the GLE53, AMG electrified Mercedes's excellent and characterful inline-6 that we already love. The outgoing GLE53 was powered by the AMG-enhanced version of this engine, and the 2027 GLE53's PHEV powertrain adds a lot to that equation. In this case, a lot means 148 additional horsepower and 140 more lb-ft of torque for a total combined system output of 577 horsepower and 553 lb-ft, which is awfully close to the 603 prodigious ponies produced by the V8-powered GLE63 S.
All that extra power results in a 4.1-second 0-to-60-mph sprint, which is 0.8 seconds quicker than last year's despite the PHEV's huge 827-pound weight gain, which totals a whopping 6,107 pounds on the SUV. The GLE53 Coupe is 44 pounds lighter at 6,063 pounds, according to Mercedes.
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Though the new GLE53's EPA-estimated fuel economy numbers are not yet verified, I averaged 30 mpg on a rather spirited drive through Colorado's gorgeous mountain roads, so it's safe to assume they will improve upon the outgoing GLE53's 18 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. The EPA has rated the GLE53's all-electric range, though, with a usable estimate of 45 miles on a charge. On a nearly full battery my GLE53 test car showed a 50-mile electric-only range that turned out to be pretty accurate. It can drive as fast as 87 mph in all-electric mode, and it's offered with 60-kW DC fast-charging function that enables the battery to be charged from 10% to 80% in around 20 minutes via a CCS charge port; no NACS here.
It's a great powertrain, and much livelier than the GLE500e's PHEV powertrain
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My test car was a GLE53 Coupe that rode on 22-inch wheels, yet in Comfort mode, the freshly tuned AMG Ride Control+ air suspension facilitated a truly plush ride. I griped about the still-too-firm ride in the smaller Mercedes-AMG GLC53, but the GLE53 manages to completely erase that complaint. The new GLE53 did not ride significantly stiffer than the standard GLE in Comfort mode, which is another way it's able to offer a lot of a lot.
Twisting the drive mode dial on the steering wheel into Sport or Sport+ instantly firmed things up quite a bit, and they awakened the blissfully rowdy yet still refined I6. The powertrain never felt overtly distinct from an ICE-only powertrain, with seamless hybrid system operation and consistent inputs.
From inside the cabin, the smooth wail of the turbocharged six sounded suspiciously more like the deep baritone of a V8 due to very convincing yet still artificial engine noise. When I stood beside a GLE53 while a Mercedes-AMG rep revved it up, it emitted the smooth symphonic sound signature of a straight-6, complete with some subtle pops and burbles – it felt like a strange dissonance, though it sounded great inside or out.
The GLE53 PHEV still offers efficiency, too, despite its more aggressive demeanor. There are a barrage of drive modes to choose from, including Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Trail, and Individual, as well as the PHEV functions that include Electric and Battery Hold. The GLE53 automatically starts in Electric mode, which I wasn't especially fond of, but the physical drive-mode dial made it exceedingly simple to flip into Comfort or Sport mode when I wanted it to behave like a hybrid.
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All that is to say that the PHEV powertrain that was borderline benign in the GLE500e takes on a significantly sportier character in the GLE53, without diluting the charm of the brilliant I6 under its hood. I found it to be a great compromise between efficiency and performance.
The standard GLE drives well, and AMG takes that to the next level
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I loved driving the standard GLE, particularly in top GLE580 trim with its new flat-plane-crank V8, and was surprised by its athleticism during my quick blast down some winding mountain roads. I had an even shorter time behind the wheel of the GLE53 Coupe, but I still got the chance to sling it around those roads, weaving it through Colorado's mountains that were set ablaze with the bright colors of autumn.
In 53 form, the GLE felt even more capable and eager to dance, but the added weight of the PHEV battery was palpable through tighter turns, despite sharpened steering that provided good feedback. Unfortunately, that palpable heft combined with what I found to be a disappointing lack of adjustments on the optional Multicontour seats made me question the value of the AMG-lite model. The seats neither went low enough nor had enough bolstering for the lateral load one could expect to achieve in a model with the letters "AMG" on it, even when I cranked them up to level 10.
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The 2027 GLE53 marks the first time a GLE comes fitted with launch control, and though it's realistically useless, it was a fabulous way to put a smile on my face. It's easy to engage by flipping the drive mode selector into Sport+, depressing the brake, and flooring the throttle, which in true AMG fashion tugs the seatbelts tight signifying its readiness to pounce. Release the brake and it hit with a strong initial punch, doubtlessly from the electric motor, but quickly lost the ferocity of that punch as speeds increased. It's not slow by any means, but I found the initial launch to set the stage for a mind-warping run that never came to fruition.
The GLE53 coupe I drove was 584 pounds heavier than even the V8-powered GLE580 that won my vote for the best-driving GLE, which coincidentally is estimated to be just 0.1 second slower than the GLE53 in the 0-to-60 sprint. That GLE580 drove so adeptly that it almost makes this diet-AMG model feel moot, but the overall vibe of the GLE53 is much more aggressive than that standard GLE580, and that should be even more true with the GLE63 S that I didn't have the chance to drive.
Aggression is the name of the game here, but it gets the same demerits as the regular GLE
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This is the seventh model year for this generation GLE, and the GLE53 suffered from the same issues as other versions of the SUV I drove in Colorado. The new interior puts Mercedes' stopgap Superscreen on prominent display, complete with its three squat screens and vast swaths of black-glass bezels. My GLE53 coupe test car also had the same vinyl sun visors and plastic lower door cards that drew my ire in all the other GLEs I drove, as well as the lack of convenient front-cabin interior storage.
The more aggressive looks inside and out, racy exhaust note and spicier engine demeanor make the GLE53 feel more exciting than other GLEs, but I still found myself preferring the (comparatively) understated GLE580. For those seeking to present an aura of aggression without going all-in on the GLE63, or for those who want V8 performance without V8 fuel economy, the GLE53 is the GLE for you.