When the original Mercedes-Benz M-Class first received the hi-po AMG treatment, the company wasn’t entirely sure the world would embrace this new idea of performance. Fast-forward more than two decades and 50% of AMG vehicles leaving dealerships are SUVs. This trailblazer has hardly rested on its laurels at any point, and for the 2021 model year, things are shaping up to be as righteous as ever.
The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S picks up the same powertrain as the larger GLS63. At the heart of the matter is a 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 producing 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, just a bit of a bump from the 342 hp and 376 lb-ft of the original ML55. That powerheads to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission, and sandwiched in the driveline is the same EQ Boost mild-hybrid system found on AMG’s 53-badged models. It can add up to 21 hp and 184 lb-ft, in addition to extending stop-start use.
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