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SERIEN ARCHITEKTUR UND AUTO • ARCHITECTURE AND AUTOMOBILE

Überraschung: Leuchtendes Mercedes-Logo auf dem Asphalt • Surprise: the shiny Mercedes logo on the asphalt Groß und mächtig vor einer beeindruckender Kulisse. • Large and mighty against an impressive backdrop

H test drivers and try out a brand-new vehicle of the make with the star on the hood.
Sicherheitsaspekte werden großgeschrieben. • Aspects of safety are writ large. ow marvellous – so now we as well are allowed to join the ranks of the successful
Prior to this, I had been of the opinion that my emotional relationship with vehicles of
any kind was restricted to wanting them to be roadworthy and that the exciting times of
one’s “first car” are once and for all a thing of the past. Far from it – the Mercedes GLE
350 d 4MATIC coupe in the purest of whites, of impressive size and perfect design imme-
diately won our hearts! From the first to the last day, we enjoyed it and treated ourselves
to magnificent excursions to Seiser Alm and Milan. Before setting out, however, a few
essential field tests were necessary, it was tried out whether it was suitable for taking
four-legged companions along and we were amazed about the man-machine propor-
tions. Apart from this, the vehicle can only be called a dream smelling of metal and
leather since the interior furnishings, the completely self-explanatory high-end technolo-
gy as well as the logo-illuminated road surface after completing the driving pleasure were
surprising and thrilled us. The highest level of perfection indeed! The elegantly sporting
lines of the perfectly stitched leather seams is fun and is complemented with high-gloss
varnished elements. Thanks to the superb processing, the combination of paint, matte
shining aluminium and leather creates a stylish and harmonious interior. Add to this the
comfortably designed sports seats and the multifunctional sports steering wheel covered
in leather with its smoothly shaped operating elements make for a comfortable feeling
with a very pleasant touch. The elements are also unmistakably and clearly arranged so
that nothing stands in the way of the driving pleasure and managing this giant is
Ein nach Leder duftender Traum – Perfektion vom Feinsten! • A dream smelling of leather – perfect!
absolutely easy – and great fun. Once you are sitting in it, you don’t want to get out of it
again! For those with a stronger interest, the operating manual in several volumes serves
to deepen their knowledge; we, on the other hand, were glad to intuitively make use of
the technical subtleties. As a male or female driver, you feel elevated, you seem to grow
from the admiration of the others and can hardly break this spell. Of course you ask your-
self why someone needs a car of this size. But even the most critical among us felt a cer-
tain magic while driving and could not hold back a slight smile on their faces. One of our
test runs took us to Seiser Alm. At 25 Grad Celsius, we reached our destination of the day
towards the afternoon and drove our vehicle right across the summery ski run to our
hotel. No problem there – challenges of this kind are child’s play for the GLE. “Design
meets design”, true to this motto, the “giant” was allowed to take a rest in the chic hotel
garage and enjoyed the envy of the surrounding cars including their drivers.

... host as well as entertainer!

On the long route, we casually chatted, enjoyed the view of the scenery and all this while
resting assured that we were travelling as safely as in the bosom of Abraham. Our
Mercedes protects us, warns us, it is a host and an entertainer at the same time.
Whenever your eyes stay too long on one and the same spot, you are warned against
possibly momentarily nodding off, you can even briefly let go of the steering wheel – the
GLE drives on independently. Small things such as the parking aid and the cruise control
are not even worth mentioning. The 360 degree panoramic view on camera helps to be
in control and to remain like that. Thus we were thoroughly relaxed once we arrive and
enjoyed the days at Seiser Alm on foot … The drive to Milan – a few days later – passed
rapidly and, thanks to GPS, we were on time to pick up our son in Linate and then then
cruise to our hotel. Considering the narrow descent into the parking garage there, how-
ever, the parking procedure turned out to be too much of a challenge for us after all and
so we asked the owner of the hotel – an Porsche driver himself – to handle it for us.

058 • AIT 09.2016