2019 Mercedes Benz GLE

The car in our photo is Mercedes Benz’s new SUV. This time around it’s the GLE which is a sort of middle ground in the German brand’s SUV range. We know the Germans can make a pretty good SUV but is this car better than its rivals?

The GLE goes up against cars such as the BMW X5, the Volvo XC90 and the Audi Q7. The first thing we thought was that all of these other cars offer up seven seats so how is the GLE a true rival? Well, for the first time ever the new GLE comes with a seven seat option which means you’ve got that bit more practicality. Mercedes has somehow managed to squeeze these extra seats in by making the GLE a whole 105 millimetres longer, 12 millimetres wider and increasing the wheelbase by 80 millimetres. What this means is that you get an extra 45 litres of boot space to hold your weekly shop or luggage. It also means that you get tonnes of room in the second row and lots of arm and shoulder room if you’re sitting in the front.

With regards to the interior it’s probably best to describe its good and bad points. Let’s start off with the good stuff.

The Good points:
- Just like an enlarged A Class cabin the GLE has the large sleek two 12.3 inch screens which gives you all of the car’s crucial information.
- A number of recent Mercedes vehicles have felt quite creaky on the interior but the interior in this car feels particularly solid and well screwed together.
- The GLE has a brand new function with its MBUX infotainment system which is called Interior Assistant. One of the things this can do is allow you to set the sat nav simply by performing a gesture with your hands.
- The big central handles look rugged and they are. It means that you can hold on tight in the standard GLE driving position while you’re off-roading.

The bad points:
- Just like on the A Class the stalks behind the steering wheel feel disappointingly cheap when compared to the rest of the cabin.
- The touchpad control feels very premium but it’s not quite as easy to use as the rotary dial on the previous GLE.
- We know that it means that you can keep both hands on the wheel at all times but the cruise control buttons really worked better when they were fitted on a separate stalk.
- Apple Car Play or Android Auto isn’t standard on the GLE so if you want the full functionality of your phone on the infotainment system then you do have to pay extra.

As for the standard equipment you do get the GLE will, from launch, be AMG Line only in the UK. This means that those sleek two 12.3 inch screens, active high beam assist, Nappa leather upholstery, heated front seats and active parking assist will all be included in the price.

The car we’re testing is the GLE 450 which has one of two engines that you’ll be able to get in the UK from launch alongside the 300d 2.0 litre diesel. Both engines will come 4matic all-wheel-drive and a 9-spped automatic gearbox as standard. There will be more engines in 2019 in the form of a 400d 3.0 litre V6 and a plug-in hybrid version too. The 450 we’re testing is pretty much everything you’d expect from a 367 break horse power (bhp) 3.0 litre straight-six petrol unit. So, it’s got plenty of torque, sounds nice and is fast too. In fact it takes you from 0 to 60 in just 5.7 seconds which is no mean feat for a car of this size. The 9-speed automatic gearbox is generally ok but it can be a little bit ponderous though this isn’t uncommon is large cars like this such as the Audi Q7 and BMW X5. Overall, the gearbox does a good job of slashing the changes nicely enough to give you a nice and smooth driving experience.

One of the stand-out features of the GLE is just how comfortable it is. It’s incredibly refined especially with the petrol engine fitted. The AIRMATIC suspension enables this car to glide effortlessly over bumps and humps easily. So, how does all of this translate to the handling? Well, again it’s pretty much as you’d expect. The GLE is a very large car so it’s not going to be a Lotus Elise in the corners but it does have plenty of grip which transfers to predictable understeer. There’s very little feel through the steering but it’s nicely weighted meaning it won’t be difficult to navigate this car around town or around tight spaces. There’s plenty of driving assistance gizmos to help you out with your driving experience too. Although a lot of this is optional you do get things such as adaptive cruise control, active blind spot assist, active lane changing assistant and also route based speed adjustment.

One thing worth noting is that if you do want to take the GLE out to do some serious off-roading then it’s worth speccing the off-road package. This gets you, amongst other things, a reinforced underside in case you scrape it against any rocks and it also gets you a low range gearbox too. All of this sounds great but the sad thing is that you can’t get any of this, in the UK at least, on the 300d model which really is a bit of a shame.

So, what do we think of the new Mercedes Benz GLE overall? Well, if you’re after a big luxurious SUV then this car is now at the top of its class. This car is supremely comfortable, it has loads of kit and has a lovely cabin too. Also, thanks to the two added seats, it now gives very little away to its biggest rivals. If you can’t wait until the launch of the new GLE or your budget can’t quite stretch to the asking price then take a look at some of the used Mercedes Benz GLE cars for sale we have on DesperateSeller.co.uk. We’re sure to have something right up your street!