The state of Maharashtra, with its geographical diversity and vibrance is beautiful — and you know it. In the monsoon, however, it turns truly magical. Enveloped in a surreal shade of green, with heavy rain clouds hovering above, seemingly within reach, Maharashtra’s monsoon has to be seen to be believed. That, as it turns out, was exactly what we set out to soak in, in an SUV that has penned the very definition of its class — the Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Oh, what a feeling it is, being enveloped in luxury, with somewhere to go. Nowhere in particular, though. Just you and the magnificent monsoon. There are few better ways to make the most of a rainy weekend than to drive across the state — first to the elaborate expanse of lush, green mountainside and, then, to the state’s enviable coast. We really couldn’t have done better than to have brought the GLE along.
It’s a state of mind, the GLE, especially in 450 4Matic form. With its 3-litre engine that gets you access to 362bhp and 500Nm of torque — and Mercedes’ legendary 4MATIC technology — the GLE is amply equipped to reign in the rain or, for that matter, absolutely everywhere. It’s got a 9-speed automatic that shifts gracefully, and its creamy, finessed power delivery grows on you in an instant. Out under a sinister sky, with the weather encouraging most to stay indoors, we still couldn’t find anything that could unsettle it.
And then we wafted off the road and onto a mud-packed trail that, even from a distance, looked tricky. Call us greedy but we weren’t satisfied with just looking at these gloriously green mountains that Kamshet (on the outskirts of Pune) flaunts — we felt the urge to be amidst them. Fortunately for us, the GLE boasts seriously rugged underpinnings, arrived at through years of evolution. Those imposing 20-inch wheels know their way around the rough stuff and with an Off-Road Mode (packed with a real-time telemetry display), an electronic ride-height controller and, of course, 4Matic, the GLE felt comfortably equipped to take on anything.
Amazingly, we were amidst the clouds within minutes, with a bird’s eye view of a lush valley you could write songs about. We attempted no such thing, of course, limiting our self-expression to pouring hot cups of coffee one of us had been mindful enough to bring along. That’s the state of mind the GLE excels at — it lets you explore, on your terms. With the rain picking up the pace, we retreated to the serene cabin, the ambient lights set to ‘Malibu Sunset’ — an odd choice for where we were, for which we apologise. Coffees drained, we were now free to head to the coast!
You could choose to drive or be driven in the GLE, and either way, it’s equally rewarding. Its plush back seats are, undoubtedly, a great place to lounge in, especially since you can sink into them and gaze into the thunderous sky courtesy the humongous panoramic sunroof. For those who prefer to stay behind the wheel, it’s as much of a treat. Either way, the GLE is a proper occasion and you feel it every moment.
Of course, you expect utility and practicality from an SUV — and the GLE gives you tonnes of that, with its space, its functionality and with just how brilliantly it’s built. But what’s fundamentally exclusive to the GLE is that you get all of that capability with a sense of prestige that you simply can’t find elsewhere. It’s a very special SUV, one with a legacy that’s incomparable.
Three hours and roughly 200km of torrential rain later, we arrived in Korlai, a quaint, almost permanently sleepy fishing village on the Konkan coast, to the roar of the raging ocean. Not far from Alibaug, now a bustling, commercial beach town, Korlai is incredibly serene and, for the time being, remains exempted from exuberant attempts at commercialisation. As a result, we were armed with no better plan — or no plan at all, in fact — than to simply watch the onslaught of waves lap Korlai’s shore.
Making our way up a scenic, if slightly treacherous ribbon of mountain-hugging road, with the expanse of the Arabian Sea to our left, we couldn’t help but feel absolutely mesmerised. Maharashtra really is magical in the monsoon, eh? As for the GLE, yes, of course it’s relentlessly luxurious and, amazingly, it’s got that go-anywhere streak to it, but the best part is, it makes even just going home feel as memorable as setting off on a new adventure. Every single time.
