Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Mercedes-Benz GLE has racked up more than two million sales worldwide since it went on sale in 1997, badged as the Mercedes M-Class. To suggest it has been a success is stating the obvious.

However, this new model is entering a vastly different market to the one back then. Today, the premium brand SUV ranks have grown to include multiple offerings from a wide variety of car makers in many different sizes and configurations. To truly stand out and pique the interest of potential customers it takes something truly out of the ordinary.

So what next for the best selling Mercedes-Benz SUV yet? In a bid to match the competition head on, the fourth-generation model driven here has been developed anew from the ground up in an engineering programme that also includes the second-generation Mercedes GLE Coupe and third-generation Mercedes GLS, both due for sale in 2019. This is just as well, because the outgoing third-generation Mercedes GLE (2011-2018) was already showing its age next to newer rivals such as the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport.

The surprise is just how much technology Mercedes-Benz has thrown at it in an attempt to elevate its appeal. There are features included on the new model that are not yet available on the flagship Mercedes-Class, or any other Mercedes-Benz model for that matter. So, in this respect, the seven-seat SUV finds itself in the unusual position of playing a pioneering technical role.

The most noticeable change when you see it up close is the decision to make it even larger again. Like all previous incarnations of the GLE launched since the first-generation model rolled off Mercedes-Benz’s US production line 21 years ago, this new one has grown, putting on a considerable 105mm in length at 4924mm. Crucially, some 80mm of this is concentrated within the wheelbase, which now extends to 2995mm, providing it with a much larger footprint and with it the scope for improved interior packaging.

What changes has Mercedes made to the interior?

Climb up into the cabin through a larger front door aperture and you’re immediately aware the new GLE is a far more luxurious offering than at any time in the past. To suggest it has been totally transformed, as Mercedes does, is probably going a little too far, but to its credit everything you see and touch has been reworked, including the front seats which are a good deal firmer and more body hugging than before. The materials used throughout, not least the optional wood and leather trims, are also of a perceptibly higher quality than in previous incarnations of the luxury SUV, giving it a distinctly more upmarket air before you’ve even thought about pressing the start button and setting off.

The multi-layered dashboard boasts its own individual design with signature rectangular air vents as opposed to the round vents used by other recent new Mercedes-Benz models. Ahead of the driver, its upper section houses a large hoodless digital panel with two 12.3in high definition displays for the instruments and infotainment features - the latter controlled by Mercedes-Benz's new MBUX operating system with touch screen, conversational speech and gesture control functions complimenting small touchpad controllers within the horizontal spokes of the steering wheel and a larger touchpad unit within the centre console.

New technology comes in the form of an optional head-up display unit boasting 720 x 240-pixel resolution across a screen area of 45cm by 15cm. Active Stop and Go assist, a driving function that permits semi-autonomous driving in traffic jams, is also among a wide range of driver assistant programs adopted by the new model. There is a distinct feeling of roominess up front with generous levels of head and elbow room combining with the commanding seating position and more upright A-pillars to create a pleasing driving environment. A high mounted centre console with integrated grab handles also provides a wide divide between the driver and front seat passenger, further adding to the feeling of space.

It’s in the rear, however, where the big increases in accommodation have taken place. That longer wheelbase has liberated an added 69mm of rear legroom and, in combination with a longer rear overhang, also helps to increase the accommodation offered by the third seat row. Boot space has actually been reduced by 60-litres, though it remains competitive at 630 litres with the second-row seats, which now come with optional six-way electric adjustment, set all the way back. Slide them forward, however, and the capacity grows by 135 litres over the old GLE to 825 litres, growing to a copious 2225 litres when they are folded away.

The fourth-generation GLE is based on a brand new platform that is claimed to offer an impressive 33% increase in rigidity over that of the old model. The so-called MHA (modular high architecture) structure adopts cast aluminium nodes for the front and rear suspension mountings as well as other changes in the material mix that not only help to increase its overall stiffness but also see it hit the scales at the same weight of the shorter and narrower version of the older MRA (modular rear architecture) platform used by the superceded third-generation GLE at 486kg.

The new structure sits on a heavily reworked double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. Lower end models continue with standard steel springs and adaptive dampers, but they can be optioned with the three-chamber height adjustable AirMatic air suspension that comes as standard on higher end models at extra cost.

Buyers who opt for the GLE 450 4Matic also get the choice of Mercedes-Benz's advanced E-Active suspension. A further development of the AirMatic system, it works in combination with a 48-volt electric architecture and stereo camera that is used to scan the road to provide individual adjustment of the air spring and damper acting on each wheel, allowing it to not only counteract body lean but also better control pitch and dive.

The initial engine line-up for the new GLE in the UK includes just two units, though others, including two six-cylinder diesels and a pair of AMG fettled petrol engines, are set to follow later in 2019. Right now, however, the line-up starts with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with 242bhp and 369lb ft of torque in the Mercedes GLE300d 4Matic and, for the time being at least, is topped by a turbocharged 2.9-litre six-cylinder petrol unit boasting 362bhp and the same 369lb ft in the GLE 450 4Matic.

The latter engine, part of a new in-line family of petrol and diesel units, is equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s new EQ Boost function, comprising of a 48-volt integrated starter generator. Mounted within the forward section of the gearbox, it uses energy from a lithium-ion battery to provide an added 22bhp and generous 184lb ft of torque under acceleration in a mild-hybrid process that is not only claimed to enhance performance but overall economy, too.