The Mercedes-AMG GLE63 Coupe is well-engineered and it comes with a lot of safety features that help keep its stability on the road. However, a crazy stunt coupled with the element of dumbness may not even be enough to save it.
From a video circulating in Reddit, the compact GLE63 was going on a roundabout before it flipped over. It wasn’t clear what the driver was trying to do here. However, according to MBWorld, looking closely at the front wheel lift of the compact SUV before it completely rolled over strongly suggests that its electronic stability control or ESC had been turned off while the driver was trying to drift.
The worse part though is the fact that the AMG GLE63 Coupe in the video was only rented out for a wedding.
How the ESC Works
The ESC, or ESP (Electronic Stability Program) in Mercedes, monitors the driver’s inputs in the steering and pedals while keeping track of the vehicle’s motion. It makes sure that the driver neither understeers or oversteers. The system locks the wheels individually and reduces the engine power if it detects severe oversteering, understeering or wheelspin in order to maintain control of the vehicle.
Watch the video below explaining how the ESP of Mercedes-Benz works:
A Design Flaw?
Some commenters said that the GLE Coupe might have a design flaw, but the rollover video shows that the driver was definitely acting like a complete idiot. He was causing a traffic jam while he pulled his stunt too.
In addition, Consumer Reports claimed an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report said that the SUVs released in 2012 have lower rollover rates than the cars of the same period. IIHS also stated that only three percent of serious accidents on the road can be traced back to vehicle rollovers.
It’s really mindblowing how the GLE driver managed to bypass the low rollover rates of SUVs and the safety offered by the ESC. There really is a design flaw somewhere there—in his head.