The new Mercedes-Benz GLE finally reveals its new identity

Yesterday Mercedes gave us a glimpse, shrouded in shadows, of what the new generation of the GLE will be, the quintessential SUV of the German brand, which began its journey back in 1997 under the name ML, earning wide recognition. Since then the ML has evolved into the SUV so attractive that you can see between these lines, also changing its name to GLE in 2015 with its third generation.

At Mercedes, like the rest of the brands, they know how important the SUV segment is in the market, especially the so-called premium segment, where the GLE competes, a market niche in which several small details can make the difference with respect to the competition. Hence the time has come for the GLE to be renewed and fine-tuned for the upcoming Paris Motor Show, adopting part of the design language of the brand’s latest presentations and making it even more attractive, if that is possible.

Athletic and aggressive exterior

As you can see, its exterior has been completely updated, but it maintains a strong presence that reinforces its SUV design thanks to the lines it has been given. At the front we find a new bumper that also provides new air intakes, but it also serves to modify the shape of the grille, housing new chrome horizontal lines that now embrace the Mercedes star, as well as a new Multibeam LED light unit that contains the daytime running lights with a new signature.

On the side, this is the area where we will find the fewest differences, although there are some, such as the new design for the mirror housings and a now rounded shape for the rear window, which blends perfectly with the characteristic C-pillar of the Mercedes GLE, as well as simpler lines for the doors that are prominent at mid-height all the way to the rear. Here, as with the front, we find an image that is now more athletic and strong, reinforced by the new bumper design and a new LED rear light unit that adds greater aggressiveness.

Completely renewed and technological interior

Once we open its doors and enter the cabin, we will not find a single detail that has not been modified compared with the outgoing model, incorporating greater technological equipment such as the dashboard, presided over, as is now customary, by the characteristic MBUX of Mercedes consisting of two 12.3-inch screens, which by the way has been improved with new features such as the menu design or the initial setup assistant, which also allows four display modes.

But as you can imagine, these will not be the only technological novelties available to the occupants of the Mercedes GLE, since the MBUX system also features augmented reality for navigation, voice assistant, predictive function, or suggestions that, for example, will invite us to tune in to our favourite radio station. It will also have a gesture recognition system that allows us to activate or deactivate functions such as switching the reading light on or off simply by bringing our hand close to the interior mirror; or we can use the full-colour Head-Up Display.

The occupants will also be surrounded by high-quality materials, as is customary for the brand, but they will also enjoy greater comfort thanks to the increase in available space, especially in the rear seats, which will now have 69 mm more, along with greater boot capacity that now rises to 825 litres, which can be increased to 2,055 litres by folding the seats in a 40:20:40 split. It is worth noting that, when equipped with the Airmatic air suspension, the GLE can lower its height by 40 mm with just the push of a button to load and unload the boot more comfortably.

New petrol engine with EQ Boost function

Mechanically, from the moment of its market launch, the new Mercedes-Benz GLE will feature a new six-cylinder in-line petrol engine (GLE 450 4Matic), which delivers a power output of 367 CV along with a torque of 500 Nm, assisted by a 48-volt electrical system and the EQ Boost function, which adds 22 CV of power and 250 Nm of torque at specific moments. This engine has a combined consumption ranging between 9.6 and 8.3 l/100 km and CO2 emissions that also range between 220 and 190 g/km.

Further engines, including new diesel units and a plug-in hybrid, will be added to the range later, although all of them will be paired with the nine-speed automatic gearbox 9G-Tronic and the all-wheel drive system 4Matic. In versions equipped with the four-cylinder engine, the 4Matic system will have a fixed torque distribution in a 50:50 ratio, while versions with the six-cylinder engine use the new Torque on Demand function, in which torque distribution is variable, from 0 to 100% depending on the needs of the moment.