WHICH ONE?

The Luxury SUV battle for enthusiasts at heart and mind

- RAMESH SOMANI

Luxury SUVs are trending, and then comes the need for performance. Many manufacturers offer the luxury of quality cabin space and the rugged practicality of an SUV matched with insane performance under the hood. There is the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, both of which are due for an update; there is the 2023 facelifted Range Rover Velar, but what’s fresh out of the assembly line microwave is the 2023 BMW X5 xDrive 40i M Sport and the Mercedes Benz GLE 450 4Matic.

They are also the two most sought-after and complete luxury SUVs in this space and are segment leaders. We threw the respective brands and their enthusiastic versions in the ring to see who would be the ultimate winner. The game’s rules were divided into six rounds, and the one with the maximum knockout punches takes the crown of the Ultimate 5-seater luxury SUV priced a little over a crore Indian moolah.

ROUND 1

DESIGN 

The 2023 Mercedes Benz GLE 450 design is nostalgic and might remind you of the original ML launched in 1997, especially from this rear quarter part of the car. The new multibeam headlamps get a new DRL signature, giving it a striking persona. The GLE 450 and 450d AMG Line kit is standard, which includes the starry grille and the more aggressive bumpers with a wheel size of 20 inches. The other variants’ grilles are a different design.