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2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic brings big power to go with massive name

Mercedes-Benz hopped into the luxury crossover coupe market with both feet with the recently debuted GLE-Class Coupe. While the existence of beauty in this segment is still up for debate, the Merc really gives the BMW X6 a direct competitor. With the newly unveiled 2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic, the engineers from Affalterbach are now also turning their sights on their rivals from BMW's M division. Don't let the name fool you. The GLE63 AMG Coupe eschews the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 from the C63 AMG in favor of an even bigger power source. This crossover uses the company's thundering 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with stop/start that pumps out 577 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque – 10 hp and 8 lb-ft more than the X6 M. The deep well of muscle means the sprint to 62 miles per hour takes just 4.2 seconds; faster than you can say the coupe's mile-long official name. The AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox routes all of that grunt to all four wheels with a 40:60 front/rear split. The styling of this beast gets a special nod from AMG by being the first CUV from the company to get its A-wing grille. Even if the rest of the design can be polarizing, this portion looks fantastic. The airfoil in the bumper is supposed to look like a stylized A, and from some angles, the wing almost appears like its just floating there. Each side of the GLE63 features black wheel arch flares, and around back there's a small lip spoiler on the tailgate. It's complimented by a new rear apron that has air outlets at each corner, integrated tailpipes and a diffuser in the center. Being a Mercedes-AMG, buyers sit in the lap of luxury inside. The seats are covered in Nappa leather with AMG crests on the headrests. The performance brand's moniker can also be found on the three-spoke steering wheel, and the instrument panel even gets covered in black Nappa. Obviously, if this isn't enough for potential buyers, Mercedes has a ton of options on hand. They include performance-oriented items like a sport exhaust system, 22-inch wheels and carbon fiber engine cover, but there're also more opulent choices like the fragrance mister and a high-end Bang & Olufson sound system. Scroll down for all the details on the much more powerful GLE Coupe. The new Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4MATIC Driving performance reinterpreted Affalterbach/Detroit.

Mercedes-Benz engines with 48-volt systems coming in 2017

As part of a big green push announced yesterday, Mercedes-Benz is jumping into the world of 48-volt power. The company will launch a new family of efficient gasoline engines next year and will begin rolling out 48-volt systems with it, likely in its more expensive cars first. Mercedes will use the 48-volt systems to power mild-hybrid functions like energy recuperation (commonly called brake regeneration), engine stop-start, electric boost, and even moving a car from a stop on electric power alone. These features will be enabled through either an integrated starter-generator (Mercedes abbreviates it ISG) or a belt-driven generator (RSG). (RSG is from the German word for belt-driven generator, Riemenstartergeneratoren. That's your language lesson for the day.) Mercedes didn't offer many other details on the new family of engines. There are 48-volt systems already in production; Audi's three-compressor SQ7 engine uses an electric supercharger run by a 48-volt system, and there's a new SQ5 diesel on the horizon that will use a similar setup with the medium-voltage system. Electric superchargers require a lot of juice, which can be fed by either a supercapacitor or batteries in a 48-volt system. Why 48-volt Matters: Current hybrid and battery-electric vehicles make use of very high voltages in their batteries, motors, and the wiring that connects them, usually around 200 to 600 volts. The high voltage gives them enough power to move a big vehicle, but it also creates safety issues. The way to mitigate those safety issues is with added equipment, and that increases both cost and weight. You can see where this is going. By switching to a 48-volt system, the high-voltage issues go away and the electrical architecture benefits from four times the voltage of a normal vehicle system and uses the same current, providing four times the power. The electrical architecture will cost more than a 12-volt system but less than the complex and more dangerous systems in current electrified vehicles. The added cost makes sense now because automakers are running out of ways to wisely spend money for efficiency gains. Cars can retain a cheaper 12-volt battery for lower-power accessories and run the high-draw systems on the 48-volt circuit. The industry is moving toward 48-volt power, with the SAE working on a standard for the systems and Delphi claiming a 10-percent increase in fuel economy for cars that make the switch.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class 'bleeding seat' problem resurfaces [UPDATE]

UPDATE: We received the following statement from Mercedes-Benz: "In rare instances, we incorrectly ordered some of the replacement parts for the seating surfaces. The approved replacement parts will not demonstrate the previous symptoms." It appears Mercedes-Benz has another problem with "bleeding seats" in 2015 C-Class sedans. As we reported in January, an oily residue has been appearing on some versions of the C-Class with man-made MB Tex upholstery, making it look as though the seats were grimy or "bleeding." Mercedes issued a technical service bulletin to its dealers to remedy the problem, but now we're hearing the fix isn't complete. Small parts of the seats – the rear bolsters and a piece below the center armrest – weren't replaced during service and then developed the oily reside again, a source tells us. This occurred within a few days of their service appointment. The dealer followed Mercedes' instructions, our source said, and their C-Class appears to have been one of the first cars fixed. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted at this point ... The new C-Class is such a good car. This is just a shame," they told Autoblog. The bleeding seat issue appears to affect US-built C-Class models with the MB Tex vinyl and possibly other interiors. The bleeding often occurs when a car has been sitting in the cold and then heats up quickly. The number of cars affected is unclear, though the C-Class owners have been vocal in the MBWorld.org forum. At the time of our original report, Daimler AG, parent of Mercedes-Benz USA, said it was aware of the issue and that no injuries had been reported. The residue usually washes off with soap and water. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had no recalls, complaints or investigations recorded about the issue as of Wednesday. The fix at the dealer involves changing out the headrest and seat covers, except for a part of the passenger seat that needs to be calibrated by the factory, according to the bulletin. The C-Class is a critical car for Mercedes as it battles BMW, Lexus and others for supremacy in the ultra-competitive luxury segment. The C-Class, which launched last fall, is moving upmarket as Mercedes reshuffles its lineup with the addition of the CLA sedan. The C-Class was the company's best-selling model in January with volume of 6,236 units.