Panamericana grille up front; quad exhaust at the back.
The last time our spies caught the high-performance SUV on camera was in the second half of March when the new Mercedes-AMG GLE63 was getting towed by a G55 after suffering a technical issue. Fast forward to this week, a different prototype was seen on a narrow street in Austria patiently waiting in traffic behind a Toyota Avensis wagon.
Despite the extensive camouflage, it’s easy to imagine that behind that camouflage at the front fascia is hiding the Panamericana grille and massive air intakes in the front bumper. We also can observe most of the headlight design, along with the rather (and huge) stealthy three-pointed star logo, as well as the cutout of the hood and how it meets the grille. The side profile reveals large 22-inch alloys with red brake calipers at the front axle and black calipers for the rear wheels.
Moving at the back of the new GLE63, it features the typical AMG quad exhaust finishers housed within what must be the production-spec bumper. In fact, chances are the prototype has most of the final bits and pieces as we aren’t seeing anything that might be a temporary piece used only during the testing phase. Peeking through the disguise at the back are the taillights, which appear to be narrower than those of the outgoing model.
The only piece of the design puzzle that’s missing is the appearance of the C- and D-pillars on which Mercedes has slapped on extra layers of camo to conceal the real design. It could be a sign some big changes are in tow for that section, but we’ll have to wait for the official reveal of the regular GLE expected to take place before the end of the year.
As for the new GLE63, it will likely be out either late 2019 or early 2020 with a downsized engine as it will eschew the old 5.5-liter to make room for the biturbo 4.0-liter V8 expected to produce somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower in the same vein as the 603-hp E63 S. A beefier version slotting above the “63” won’t happen as Mercedes-AMG has made the promise its SUVs will never receive the Black Series treatment.
Photos: CarPix
