Mercedes GLE AMG

Mercedes GLE AMG: Which Version Should You Buy?

Choosing a Mercedes GLE AMG comes down to four priorities: performance, economy, weight, and generation. The 2015–2018 first generation offers GLE AMG 43 and GLE AMG 63 variants with 367–585 hp. The second generation, produced from 2019 to January 2024, raises the range to 429–612 hp, while its February 2023 restyling adds gasoline and Plug-in choices with 385–612 hp.

Choosing a Mercedes GLE AMG comes down to four priorities: performance, economy, weight, and generation. The 2015–2018 first generation offers GLE AMG 43 and GLE AMG 63 variants with 367–585 hp. The second generation, produced from 2019 to January 2024, raises the range to 429–612 hp, while its February 2023 restyling adds gasoline and Plug-in choices with 385–612 hp. Every listed model is an SUV 5-doors with AWD, but engines, transmissions, acceleration, fuel consumption, and measured weights differ substantially.

Mercedes GLE AMG generations: what changed?

The first generation ran from 2015 through September 2018 as an SUV 5-doors with four versions. Buyers can choose between two GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic specifications—367 hp or 390 hp—and the V-shaped 8-cylinder GLE AMG 63 5.5 AT 4Matic and GLE AMG 63S 5.5 AT 4Matic. The 3.0-litre variants use a 9-speed Automatic, whereas both 5.5-litre versions use a 7-speed Automatic. This is also the only generation in the data with measured city, highway, and combined consumption for every version.

The second generation covers January 2019 through January 2024 and remains an SUV 5-doors with four listed specifications. Its choices comprise the 571 hp GLE AMG 63 4.0 AT 4Matic, the 612 hp GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic, and two GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic entries distinguished by 429 hp and 435 hp. Every version has a 9-speed Automatic and AWD. Compared with the first-generation 5.5-litre V-shaped 8-cylinder engines, the second-generation GLE AMG 63 models use 3,982 cc V-shaped 8-cylinder engines while delivering more power per litre.

The second-generation restyling began in February 2023 and contains five versions, again as an SUV 5-doors. Gasoline choices include the 385 hp GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic, the 429 hp and 435 hp GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic specifications, and the 612 hp GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic. A 544 hp Plug-in GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic adds a distinctly different balance of performance and measured combined consumption. All five retain a 9-speed Automatic and AWD.

Mercedes GLE AMG engine specs and horsepower

The strongest output is 612 hp and 850 Nm from the second-generation GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic, both before and after restyling. Its 3,982 cc engine produces about 154 hp per litre, compared with about 107 hp per litre from the first-generation 585 hp GLE AMG 63S 5.5 AT 4Matic. The 544 hp Plug-in GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic reaches about 181 hp per litre based on its 2,999 cc displacement, although that calculation compares total listed output with engine displacement.

Among the closely related restyled gasoline models, the 435 hp GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic adds 50 hp and 40 Nm over the 385 hp GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic. The 429 hp restyled GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic has 44 hp and 40 Nm more than the restyled GLE AMG 43, while the two restyled gasoline GLE AMG 53 specifications differ by only 6 hp and share 560 Nm.

Mercedes AMG GLE performance, acceleration, and economy

Consumption figures are reproduced exactly as supplied; the data does not state a unit. In particular, the combined figure of 93 for the restyled GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic should be treated cautiously rather than interpreted or corrected.

For maximum acceleration, the pre-restyling second-generation GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic is quickest at 3.8 seconds to 100 km/h. It is 0.4 seconds quicker than the first-generation GLE AMG 63S 5.5 AT 4Matic and has a 30 km/h higher top speed. The restyled GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic requires 3.9 seconds, just 0.1 seconds more than the earlier second-generation specification.

The first-generation 367 hp GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic is the economy-oriented gasoline choice when complete city, highway, and combined measurements matter: its respective figures are 10.9, 7.2, and 8.6. It matches the 390 hp version’s 5.7-second acceleration while using 0.3 less on the combined measurement. The Plug-in GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic combines 544 hp, 750 Nm, 4.7-second acceleration, and a measured combined figure of 1.5, but city and highway values are not measured.

Mercedes GLE AMG weight, clearance, tank, and wheel size

Exterior dimensions are not measured for any listed version. Among versions with measured mass, the first-generation 390 hp GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic is lightest at 2,105 kg, or about 5.4 kg per horsepower. The second-generation GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic improves that ratio to about 4.0 kg per horsepower despite weighing 2,420 kg. The restyled 544 hp Plug-in GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic is heaviest at 2,725 kg and works out to about 5.0 kg per horsepower.

The first-generation models have 93-litre tanks, 28 litres more than the 65-litre tanks of every listed second-generation specification. Measured first-generation clearance ranges from 183 to 201 mm; measured second-generation and restyled clearance is 180 mm. Only the restyled GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic has recorded wheel sizes: 275/45 R21 and 315/40 R21.

Which Mercedes GLE AMG version should you choose?

Choose the first-generation GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic with 367 hp if measured gasoline consumption, the 93-litre tank, and 201 mm of clearance matter more than maximum output. It has the lowest complete consumption set in the catalogue and reaches 100 km/h in the same 5.7 seconds as the 390 hp version. The 390 hp GLE AMG 43 3.0 AT 4Matic adds 23 hp and weighs 75 kg less, but its measured combined consumption rises from 8.6 to 8.9 and clearance falls by 18 mm.

Choose the first-generation GLE AMG 63S 5.5 AT 4Matic over the GLE AMG 63 5.5 AT 4Matic when the stronger specification is available on otherwise comparable terms. The 63S adds 28 hp and 60 Nm, cuts the 0–100 km/h time by 0.1 seconds, and retains the same measured 2,345 kg kerb weight, 3,050 kg gross weight, consumption figures, clearance, tank capacity, and top speed.

Choose the second-generation GLE AMG 63S 4.0 AT 4Matic for the quickest recorded acceleration and highest recorded top speed. The pre-restyling version’s 612 hp and 850 Nm exceed the 571 hp GLE AMG 63 4.0 AT 4Matic by 41 hp and 100 Nm, while acceleration improves from 4.0 to 3.8 seconds and top speed rises from 250 to 280 km/h. Its consumption and clearance are not measured, so those criteria cannot be compared reliably.

Choose a restyled gasoline GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic for a middle ground. Both the 429 hp and 435 hp specifications reach 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds, produce 560 Nm, return a measured combined figure of 10.7, weigh 2,300 kg, and have 180 mm clearance. Because the measured outcomes are otherwise equal, the 435 hp specification supplies 6 additional horsepower.

Choose the restyled 544 hp Plug-in GLE AMG 53 3.0 AT 4Matic if its 750 Nm, 4.7-second acceleration, and combined measurement of 1.5 outweigh its mass. It adds 109 hp and 190 Nm over the restyled 435 hp gasoline GLE AMG 53, but also adds 425 kg of kerb weight. Price, MSRP, used availability, reliability, problems, and offers for sale are not measured in the supplied data, so they cannot support a catalogue recommendation.