2016 Mercedes GLE & GLE 63 AMG officially unveiled

Mercedes-Benz has given the M-Class a makeover for 2016 and changed its name to GLE to follow their new nomenclature.

Set to be officially unveiled at the New York Motor Show, the GLE gets a redesigned front fascia encompassing new front bumper, a revised grilled flanked by a pair of restyled headlights similar to those on the GLE Coupe.

At the back, the LED tail lamps have been freshened up with the same motive as other recent models, while the rear bumper has been tidied up together with a pair of new tailpipes.

As expected, the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 wears a more aggressive body kit and is distinguished by a deeper front bumper, a sportier front grille with a single bar, beefier rear bumper with integrated rear diffuser and quad exhaust tips. A set of 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels finished in titanium grey rounds of the exterior styling.

Inside, the cabin is largely carried over safe for a new steering wheel and centre console with Mercedes’ 7-inch freestanding infotainment screen. There is also new colour palette including ginger beige, espresso brown, saddle brown or porcelain, along with a plethora of trim options.

Under the bonnet, the headline news is the introduction of the plug-in hybrid GLE 500e 4MATIC – a first for a Mercedes SUV. It is equipped with the same 3.0-litre BlueDIRECT V6 engine matched with a 7-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with an integrated electric motor as the S500e.

The system produces a combined maximum output of 325kW (442PS) and 650Nm of torque and draws its energy from an 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. It is claimed to return 3.3L/100km and is capable of travelling up to 30km on battery power alone at speeds up to 130km/h.

Other engine options include:

• A twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 with 245kW (333PS) and 480Nm of torque
• A twin-turbo 4.7-litre V8 with 320kW (435PS) and 700Nm of torque
• A 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel with 150kW (204PS) and 480Nm of torque
• A 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel with 190kW (258PS) and 620Nm of torque.

Of course, there’s also the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 generating 410kW (557PS) and 700Nm of torque reserved for the GLE 63 AMG. It is capable of propelling the relatively heavy SUV from 0-100km/h in just 4.3 seconds before topping out at an electronically limited 250km/h.

The GLE 63 AMG S turns the wick up even further, churning out 430kW (585PS) and 760Nm of torque and sending the car to 100km/h from rest in 4.2 seconds.