Mercedes - Detroit 2015 [Updated]

More power, more speed and more bling for the flagship GLE plus CLA Shooting Brake and C450 AMG 4Matic [Updated]

So who else is already getting bored of Mercedes' strange new naming convention? As reported below Detroit saw the debut of what's officially called - I kid you not - the Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S-Model Coupe.

Yes, it's Merc's answer to the BMW X6 M, a car that you may well have thought didn't really need any rivals. It's every bit as quick as you would expect it to be - with the 585hp version of the familiar 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 giving a 4.2-sec 0-62mph time and (with the optional AMG Driver's Package) a 174mph top speed.

CLA Shooting Brake looks smart in metal

But does it have the visual clout that attracts a certain type of buyer to the BMW X6? On the show stand, not really - most of its impact comes from its sheer improbable size rather than any particularly aggressive styling cues. It looks as it is - a slightly lower and slightly rounder version of what we used to call the ML. Still, maybe there are people out there who have been looking for a slightly more subtle performance off-road coupe. Niches within niches and all that.

Beyond the GLE63, the Merc stand was pretty much covered with new metal, from the more basic GLE Coupe variants to two new C-Classes - a worthy C350 Plug-in hybrid which combines a 2.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a big battery pack to deliver - drumroll - official CO2 emissions of just 49g/km. Of more PH interest was the C450 AMG Sport 4Matic - which features a 367hp 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and four-wheel drive.

And we have to report that the CLA Shooting Brake looked pretty decent in the flesh, too - stylish and moderately practical. Although of course, with a loadspace too dinky to make it an estate it's basically a hatchback version of a saloon that's been spun off a hatchback. [Mike Duff]

What more is there to say?

Original Mercedes GLE63 story:
Gosh. Er, striking, isn't it? The keen crossover spotters amongst you will notice this isn't just a Mercedes-Benz GLE, but a Mercedes-AMG GLE. As well as being a bit of a mouthful it is also the most relevant to PistonHeads arguably. Sorry.

Official details about the GLE63 will follow soon but there are a few things we can have an educated guess at for now. Like the E-Class, there will be two AMG variants, a standard car and an 'S'. So that's a 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 with either 557hp or 585hp. Torque is rated at 516lb ft or 590, which should prove sufficiently fast to escape an angry mob or the taste police. Expect a ridiculous 0-62mph time beginning with a four and a limited 155mph top speed. The seven-speed auto will probably feature too, plus all manner of active safety and handling tech to keep a near-600hp behemoth pointing in vaguely the right direction.

The Mercedes GLE will never, ever want for visual impact. The V8 AMG flagship, as its prerogative, takes the aesthetic aggro to another more offensive level again. See the gigantic wheels, red calipers, four exhausts, AMG badges and a surprisingly meek spoiler. There isn't any news currently of an Edition 1, as with the A45 and C63. Be thankful.

We will fill in the gaps on the GLE63 as soon as the official info is available. Suffice to say fans of the GLE (you mock now, wait until they're clogging up your town centre) will love it and the rest of us will be left scratching heads and scowling at what on earth is going on. Where's that C63 please Mercedes?

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Jim AK

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