Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 AMG Coupé to be launched on January 12

After launching 15 cars this year, Mercedes-Benz will kick-start 2016 in India with the launch of its GLE 450 AMG Coupé. The car is slated for Indian shores barely a month after its international unveiling.

The GLE Coupé is a sportier sibling of the recently launched GLE SUV. The nose features a single-slat grille flanked by LED headlamps and an aggressive looking bumper. The highlight of the car's design is the swooping roofline that terminates with an S-class coupé-like rear end. There's plastic body cladding, splashes of chrome on the front and rear, a dual exhaust system and 21-inch wheels as standard. The coupé carries over the standard GLE’s interiors. It features carbonfibre trim, a nappa leather-wrapped sport steering wheel, sport seats, stainless steel pedals and the latest COMAND infotainment system.

Under the hood, there is a firebreathing twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that churns out 362bhp and 53kgm of torque, which propels this 2.2-tonne SUV from 0-100kph in a claimed 5.7 seconds. Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox which offers five driving modes – Comfort, Slippery, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. Each mode can modulate chassis, suspension, steering wheel and powertrain settings in addition to engine sound and driving lights.

The GLE 450 AMG Coupé will go up against its only rival here, the BMW X6. Brought into India as a Completely Built Unit, it is expected to bear a sub-Rs 1 crore price tag.