Mercedes-Benz GLE 400d Coupe


 It will be interesting to watch whether that slightly odd, oversized automotive crossbreed, the full-size SUV-slash-coupe, survives the transition from internal combustion to full electric power that all luxury cars are supposedly set to undergo over the next decade or so. 

You might reasonably assume that any supposedly elegant and exclusive premium vehicle that could be replaced by something lighter, lower-of-profile and better-suited to eking out range from a battery pack, necessarily will be. If going electric across the board does mean pressing the reset button on whole showroom model ranges, who’ll shed a tear for the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, you might wonder?

The GLE Coupe has just made it onto UK roads in second-generation form, and buyers can already buy an ‘electrified’ version of the car if they want to. The diesel-electric GLE 350de hybrid is the headline new addition to the car’s powertrain range. It’s at once the cheapest, most company car tax-efficient and potentially the most fuel-efficient version of the car going, depending on how you use it. Thanks to a drive battery of more than 30kWh, it’s also got a 60-odd-mile claimed electric range, which might just be enough to win over certain critics of the plug-in hybrids all by itself.

And for those who don’t think the ‘PHEV’ will be the GLE Coupe to have, there’s this: the six-cylinder diesel GLE 400d. It’s the only other non-AMG-branded derivative available, and it comes in one mechanical specification and in one trim level. UK buyers can choose what colour paint they want, and towing preparation is a no-cost option; that’s it. From wheel design to interior trim to equipment count, the car you see in these photos is the one you’ll get.

Which also means, of course, that you get a lot of standard equipment. This GLE is a little bit pricier than its rivals from BMW, Audi and Land Rover, but it comes with air suspension, 360-degree parking cameras, heated and ventilated front seats, a big head-up display, and with just about every driver assistance system going. It also gets Mercedes’ top-level ‘MBUX’ infotainment system with its wireless smartphone charging and ‘augmented reality’ navigation, and a Burmester premium stereo. For those who like a fully-loaded luxury car, that should do very nicely.

Nhận xét

Đăng nhận xét

Bài đăng phổ biến từ blog này

Hyundai Kona N Line AWD

Hình ảnh
  What are the uninitiated to make of the   updated 2022 Hyundai Kona   in   new N Line trim ? The subcompact SUV's distinctive exterior is kind of cute,   kind of funky   and chunky, but not necessarily everyone's cup of tea. As an N Line offering, it's supposed to be sportier, and its size and fifth door have led some to consider the Kona to be something of a compact/subcompact hatchback instead of a small crossover SUV. The 2022 Kona N Line features the range's more powerful 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and our test vehicle has all-wheel drive. As for the N Line designation, that's a reference to the brand's "N" vehicles, like  the Veloster N ,  the Elantra N , and, yes,  the  Kona N , with N Line being a sort of stepping stone between the regular versions and the frenetic, high-performance full-N models. Those include the Elantra N Line, Sonata N Line, and mor...
Đọc thêm

Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid 2020

Hình ảnh
  Until last year it was a 40-year   Citroën   tradition that the marque’s biggest and most expensive model should be a large, likeable, slow-selling and fast-depreciating business saloon. In 2019, however, the company corrected that mistake by launching a handsome and distinctive SUV flagship,   the C5 Aircross , though even that failed at first to join the electrification bandwagon that was already rolling fast. Now Citroën has remedied this shortcoming with a new two-model range of C5 Aircross plug-in hybrids that catapults it to the front rank of SUV efficiency. The entry-level Flair model costs a very reasonable £35,370, considering it comes with equipment like climate control, air-con and traffic-monitoring navigation, but the bargain is the Flair Plus, which costs barely £1500 more while adding more ornate 19in alloy wheels (instead of 18s), half-leather trim, an electric-adjust driver’s seat, radar cruise control and a hands-free motorised tail...
Đọc thêm

New Volkswagen Golf GTI

Hình ảnh
  Volkswagen has opened order books for the new, eighth-generation   Golf GTI , customer deliveries of which will start later this year. The newest version of the genre-defining hot hatchback is based on the Mk8 Golf, which was unveiled last year. It sticks closely to the established GTI template for the model, retaining the Volkswagen Group’s familiar ‘EA888’ turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and sending power to the car's front wheels exclusively. However, the standard version of the new GTI features all the additions fitted to the GTI Performance version of the Mk7 Golf, including boosts in power to 242bhp (from 228bhp) and torque to 273lb ft (from 258lb ft), a limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes. To please enthusiasts further, the GTI retains a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is again optional. Prices start from £33,460 for the six-speed manual and versions equipped with th...
Đọc thêm