2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE450e Finally Brings PHEV Power to the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz has been preoccupied with high-profile EV introductions and shuffling the attendant corporate EV-nomenclature strategy for the future. But while the automaker's agenda to become an EV-only concern by 2030 continues to dominate headlines, it quietly slipped the Mercedes-Benz GLE-class 450e plug-in hybrid (PHEV) into its U.S. mid-size SUV lineup for 2024 with little fanfare.

This isn't the GLE's first foray into the world of plugs. For a couple of years now, the GLE350e and GLE350de gas and diesel PHEVs, as well as the smaller GLC PHEV, have been available to Europeans. Select versions of both plug-ins were earmarked for earlier North American debuts, but word is that European demand proved so strong they've been in a holding pattern. As a consolation prize, the standard GLE450 has utilized a 48-volt hybrid system since 2020, but the new 2024 GLE450e is the first GLE model sold here with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain and a significant electric range.

The GLE is the second-bestselling model line in Mercedes's stateside roster behind the compact GLC, and the 2024 GLE450e joins the returning GLE350, GLE450, and GLE580 models, which use turbocharged four- and six-cylinder and V-8 powertrains, respectively. For 2024, the 48-volt hybrid-assist previously standard on the GLE450 and GLE580 models extends to the GLE350 as well. All-wheel drive is standard across the board. The Mercedes-AMG GLE53 and GLE63 S models are still in play, too, and we've reviewed them separately.

As for the 2024 GLE450e's powertrain, the fossil-fuel side of the equation relies on a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated for 248 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The electric componentry consists of a 134-hp synchronous motor that provides an additional 325 pound-feet of torque, drawing on a lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 23.3 kWh. The tag team is rated for a combined 381 ponies and 479 pound-feet, placing it above both the GLE350 (255 horses and 295 pound-feet) and the GLE450 (375 horses and 369 pound-feet).

Mercedes pegs the 60-mph time of the GLE450e at 5.8 seconds, a full 1.2 seconds swifter than the automaker's 7.0-second claim for the GLE350 and just 0.5 second behind the GLE450's stated 5.3-second time. It's tempting to think of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE450e PHEV as a baby step to the electric future or as a placeholder for drivers who remain skeptical regarding the promised EV Babylon. And without a doubt, it is both of those things.

But the GLE450e is also a fully baked PHEV that operates with seamless precision in any environment while ensconcing its passengers in the same level of luxury and features as the rest of the GLE lineup. It's tranquil at any speed, largely thanks to the dogged persistence with which the software favors electric operation in nearly every driving situation. In town, on the highway, or on the rural two-lanes of the Smoky Mountains, the GLE450e displays remarkable restraint, dialing in assistance from the internal-combustion engine only when absolutely required. Indeed, my co-driver and I engaged in quiet conversation for a long enough time that we were startled when the four-cylinder fired up to aid the nearly depleted battery.

Official EPA fuel-economy and range estimates for the GLE450e are pending, and Benz officials were cagey about nailing down a firm EV-only range number. Still, in our hands, the GLE450e covered an indicated 43 miles of electric range during combined city and rural driving in a decidedly typical driving fashion.

All the fundamental GLE driving dynamics remain: It feels smaller and more agile at the helm than its footprint suggests, and the ride is cushy. But our car's 21-inch AMG wheels, as part of the AMG Line appearance package, ensure that significant road imperfections do not pass unnoticed. The electric motor provides eager acceleration from a stop with the slightest throttle input; jumping into the PHEV from a traditional GLE requires a little readjustment to avoid leaping away from a stoplight. It's a rock at or above highway speeds and, like its siblings, has an electronically limited 130-mph top speed.