This time, Mercedes-Benz India gave us the keys to the recently updated GLE. For the unaware, the GLE is the brand’s mid-size SUV offering which sits between the GLC and the flagship GLS. The current fourth-generation GLE can be best described as the least appealing of all the Mercedes SUVs on sale in India, visually at least. But with the latest updates, has the GLE received a much-needed shot in the arm? We took it for a spin to find out.
When the second-generation ML became the GLE in 2015, its visual appeal peaked, at least in my opinion. And the facelift only made things better. The SUV looked distinct, characterful, and had the typical elegance that one would associate with a Mercedes SUV of the time. Witnessing a young person behind its wheel did not feel odd, as the SUV had a sense of youthfulness about its appeal.
Unfortunately, with the arrival of the current fourth-generation GLE, things took a drastic turn, and the GLE lost all of its youthful elegance in one fell swoop. In its current form, the GLE looks like it is tailor-made for older customers – the design has become just too plain, especially for its size. Speaking of size, Mercedes claims India is the only market to get the GLE as a long-wheelbase (LWB) model, which further hints at the fact that it is intended for those who wish to enjoy the back seat (read: older folks). The new GLE might still have a discernible road presence, but it now looks distinct for all the wrong reasons.
Being the top-spec GLE 450, our test car was also equipped with the AMG Line package, which adds a handful of AMG-specific body elements like beefier bumpers, 20-inch twin-spoke wheels, body-coloured cladding, and a star-pattern grille. Even with these sportier reinforcements, the GLE simply fails to impress.
The GLE 450 is the most powerful offering in the variant line-up. Equipped with the 3.0-litre six-cylinder M 256 M petrol engine, the GLE 450’s output figures stand at a respectable 375.5bhp 500Nm. Additional hybrid assistance comes from the Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), which adds 20bhp and 200Nm whenever needed. A nine-speed automatic sends power to all four wheels, as all GLE variants come with a full-time 4MATIC all-wheel-drive.
On refinement alone, the GLE 450 scores top marks. The car remains so eerily quiet that it’s difficult to tell if the engine is running while idling. The same is the case during the start-up – the process is virtually silent. Until you go bollocks with the accelerator, the GLE 450 feels like it’s running on some other-worldly mix of talcum powder and butter. Of course, getting a bit liberal with the right foot makes the powertrain audible enough to tell you’re driving a vehicle propelled by six cylinders. Surprisingly, despite offering 350+bhp, the GLE 450 does not get a ‘Sport’ drive mode – it makes do with ‘Normal, ‘Eco’, and ‘Off-road’ modes – another indication that the GLE is not meant for an enthusiastic driver.
While this refinement is a plus point, it also has a sizeable downside – a lack of feel. Since everything remains exceptionally smooth most of the time, the GLE feels quite numb, even at high speeds. And the steering wheel does not help either. Its super-light action may be a boon while manoeuvring the vehicle in tight spaces, but when that all-important confidence-inducing feedback is required, there’s none of it. It feels pretty much entirely disconnected from the front wheels.
The GLE 450 also comes with Mercedes’ Airmatic Suspension with manual height adjustment. The set-up is fairly biased towards the softer end, so while the car eats up most bad surfaces with ease, the body rolls about significantly during sharp turns. The thick and grippy 275/50 R20 Pirelli rubber also contributes to the GLE’s impressive ride quality.
Much like the cabin of any modern-day Mercedes, the GLE’s cabin scores well quality-wise. The use of cheap or flimsy-feeling materials is not going to be a complaint, for sure. The design though brought back the same feelings when I saw the car from the outside. The retro-inspired look of the AC vents and the brown open-pore Walnut wood trim give the cabin a high-end library sort of feel. Again, it’s a place that would appeal a lot more to the elderly and not so much to the younger ones. The seats, both at the front & back, offer good comfort, but there was one nagging aspect of driving the GLE, which I did not expect.
While driving, it’s normal to rest your left knee on the centre console (in a right-hand drive car). In the case of the GLE, the centre console offers grab handles that coincide with the knee-resting spot. Sadly, it is shaped, or rather positioned, in a way that its contour falls exactly where the jeans stitching overlaps while sitting, at the side of the knee. Readers might say I’m nit-picking at this point, but this is no gripe. Imagine paying more than a crore for your Mercedes only to hop out of the driver’s seat every time with an aching left knee! It’s just unacceptable. And even if you avoid wearing full-length trousers to circumvent the issue, that grab handle isn’t exactly soft to the touch. So, your left knee is in for a tough time, no matter what.
In the latest updates, Mercedes has also thrown in a few useful feature additions. For example, the GLE 450 now comes with ventilated (heating & cooling) front seats, powered rear seats with recline, a neatly executed head-up display, Multibeam LED headlamps, and an Air Balance Package that consists of a cabin fragrance diffuser and an air purifier.
Overall, the Mercedes-Benz GLE, in its 450 guise, came across as a potent accountant. Potent – because the SUV (the 450, at least) is not a slouch by any means. Stamp on the accelerator, and the GLE will lunge ahead with performance levels that can shame a few premium sedans. Accountant because driving the GLE or even sitting in or looking at it was anything but exciting. Imagine having a dinner conversation with an accountant – as accurate and informative as the chat may be, it won’t exactly be sparkling (unless you have a thing for numbers and figures!). Similarly, as smooth, refined and effective as the GLE 450 may be as a mid-size SUV, it is not the one you would like to take home with you.