Mercedes-Benz GLE

About 8 years ago, there was a commercial by Mercedes-Benz that showcased the Magic Body Control in the S-Class using a chicken. I personally thought it was a brilliant marketing exercise. Jaguar even came up with a cheeky response, which fuelled a friendly ad war.

Now, the purpose of that video is to draw a parallel to the “magic carpet” ride quality in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, it seems that this sought-after quality isn’t found in the majority of contemporary Mercedes-Benzes, even if said Mercedes-Benz features air suspension.

I’ve been rather critical of the ride quality of recent Mercedes-Benzes regardless of the suspension type – passive, adaptive, or air – whether it’s the C300, A250, or E350e. My feedback ranges from “it’s alright” to “my head is bopping up and down, is this the same company who made chicken commercial?”

That is, until I’ve driven this – the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. And I found that the attributes most of us associate Mercedes-Benz to (maybe used to) are present in the GLE 450; it’s wafty and has the sense of heft from the way the doors close to the way it drives.

Also read: BMW X5's rival, CKD 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 launched, priced from RM 475k