Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S

The GLE 63 S is what happens when AMG refuses to let an SUV behave like one. The handcrafted 4.0 litre V8 biturbo carries the same one-engine-one-builder philosophy as the brand's sports cars, now paired with EQ Boost 48V mild-hybrid assistance and the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. It puts 612 horsepower through all four wheels and runs to an electronically limited 280 km/h. The Performance exhaust gives it a deep voice that announces itself well before you see it.

Day to day it is genuinely usable, and that is the point. There is room for five adults and 630 litres of luggage, so it handles the school run, the office and a weekend escape to Hatta on the same tank. The cabin wraps you in full leather with Burmester surround sound and a panoramic roof overhead. Press the throttle and the family hauler turns into something that revs hard and pulls without hesitation.

Dubai is where the contradiction makes sense. Run it down Sheikh Zayed Road in the cool of the evening, then ease it along the Marina and JBR where the air suspension keeps everything calm over the joints and ramps. Take it out to Al Qudra at dawn before the heat builds, and the 22-inch forged wheels and warm grippy tarmac let the V8 actually stretch. It arrives at a Palm Jumeirah dinner looking the part without trying.

We deliver it to your door full of fuel and detailed, then collect it when you are finished. Registration, insurance and Salik are handled, so all you do is drive. It suits the driver who wants space and presence above an ordinary SUV, for a few days or a couple of weeks.