Fresh from its Paris motor show debut, Mercedes-Benz has announced UK prices and spec details for its second-generation Mercedes-Benz GLE, on sale now.
The BMW X5 rival is priced from £55,685 in GLE 300d 4Matic form, which replaces the old 250d. It features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine making 242bhp and 369lb ft of torque, powering the SUV from 0-62mph in 7.2sec and on to a top speed of 140mph. Claimed economy figures are 46.3mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 162g/km.
Standard kit on all GLEs includes Mercedes' new MBUX set-up, featuring two 12.3in displays and the Interior Assistant, an advanced voice control system. Also included is 20in AMG alloy wheels, active high beam assist, blindspot monitoring, privacy glass and heated leather seats.
The sole petrol option at launch is the GLE 450 4Matic, priced from £62,300. It's powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine using the brand's 48V EQ Boost mild hybrid tech, producing 362bhp and 369lb ft of torque; 0-62mph is quoted at 5.7sec and the top speed is 140mph. Economy of 33.6mpg is quoted, while it officially emits 191g/km of CO2.
The 450 builds on the standard kit list, with the seven-seat equipment line as standard. As well as the extra row of chairs, it brings electrically adjustable rear seats, extra USB ports and four-zone climate control.
The petrol-powered model also features an advanced suspension system as standard, surpassing even that found on Mercedes' flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
There will also be a plug-in hybrid variant with a “particularly long range” – thought to be more than 50 miles on electric power alone.
Paris motor show 2018: live reports and updates
The new suspension system is a more advanced version of the Magic Body Control found on the S-Class. It is the first on sale where the spring and damping forces are individually controlled at each wheel, counteracting not only body roll but also pitch and squat.
2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLE Coupe: preview released
Join the debate
Add your comment
oh dear...
...dont think much of the spec. Digital dashboards is a deal breaker for me. I love the way they call it MB UX...user experience my arse, touch screens dont work in a moving vehicle...no UX about it!...as is that bloody black glass (pointless unless you live in the desert), doesnt show black glass in the pictures of the grey car....so must be a UK specific spec....ironic!. 20" wheels arent much use either.
Like the off-road package though. Oh, and like the shape.
289 wrote:
Have you actually seen how it works? Most of the car can be controlled with voice commands. I have no first hand experience of MBUX, but if the videos I've watched are anything to go by then it looks pretty impressive. Barely any need for touch screen use whilst driving the vehicle...
@ simonali
Firstly, i cant stand the way these juke box dashboards look....they look like the cheapest and nastiest of the aftermarket Halfords radio/CD players....nothing shouts premium here.
Then there is voice command....hit and miss at best,, especially with background road traffic noise or sunroof open, children chattering etc.
I really cant see what was wrong with buttons and switches that are seared into your memory and dont even need to be looked for - your hand goes straight to them.
Also when a switch fails, you can mostly just replace the switch....not half the dashboard along with exorbitant cost.
How did we get here
£56k for a 4 pot 2.0 diesel SUV. It's like you pay for computer style dashboard and get a cheap'ish smoker engine thrown in.
Styling
Any teenager who likes cars can 'style' a good looking one by giving it a low profile and huge alloy wheels. The difference in the real world is that few manufacturers take their stylish looking concept cars and put them into production for whatever reason.
I know it'll never happen, but it would be nice if there was more appreciation for where the real work happens - the engineering. It takes real skill and know-how to design an engine to be more powerful, yet fuel efficient and refined. Likewise a drive train that swaps gears almost seamlessly at the right time.
Sadly, most people who do the easiest (and natural) thing and make decisions based on looks.
classe wrote:
If styling is as simple as you describe, how do you explain there are so few coherently styled cars?
Yes, insofar as the purpose of the car is to move people from A to B, propulsion is important. But the car has to do with the way one is transported, so it also means aerodynamics (which has to do with design and which influences styling), chassis design (I consider ride comfort to be more important than the engine, I want to arrive at the destination refreshed), packaging, visibility etc. etc.
In fact the fetishization of the engine or engineering by motoring journalists distorts the way a car is evaluated.
Some people like the specific noise certain engines make. That is not an engineering concern, that's aesthetics.
abkq wrote:
I think the answer is in your question. We can all seemingly spot an incoherently styled car, but those paid to style cars for a living are unable to produce a coherently styled car?
There are lots of reasons why car manufacturers style their cars the way they do. Economics (or the cost of production) is one of them. Cultural and market preferences are another, backed up by market reasearch.