New Mercedes-Benz GLE: Australian details

A bigger and demonstrably better Mercerdes-Benz GLE will land in Australian showrooms in the second quarter of next year.

Three variants will be available from launch, opening with the GLE 300d with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 180kW and 500Nm for a 0-100km/h time of 7.2 seconds.

There will also be the GLE 400d with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel developing 243kW and 700Nm for a 5.8-second 0-100km/h sprint.

Topping the new Mercedes-Benz GLE line-up – until the next AMG GLE 63 arrives – will be the GLE 450 with a 270kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbo-petrol straight-six augmented by a 48-volt electrical sub-system connected to a motor that can deliver 16kWand 250Nm for brief bursts of added acceleration, contributing to a 0-100km/h run of 5.7 seconds.

Fuel use — based on the new WLTP standard that is intended to be more aligned with real-world consumption — is rated at 6.1-6.4L/100km in the 300d, 7.0-7.5L/100km for the 400d and 8.3-9.4L/100km for the 450.

Prices and specification have yet to be finalised for Australian versions but carsales.com.au predicts prices will range between about $110,000 to $145,000. Apart from the new Mercedes-AMG GLW 63, a plug-in hybrid variant will arrive later in the product cycle.

The fourth generation of Mercedes-Benz’s best-selling SUV will come with seven seats as standard but customers can choose a five-seater as a no-cost option, which will free up space under the cargo floor to stash valuable items like laptops out of sight of inquisitive eyes.

Other confirmed gear includes all-wheel-drive, illuminated running boards and a pair of 12.3-inch screens -- one handling the driver’s digital instrument display and the other taking care of the infotainment functions.

Mercedes-Benz says the latest version of its multi-media software has 40 extra features over the A-Class that first showcased the ‘MBUX’ platform, including a range of displays for off-road-specific functions such as torque delivery to each wheel and vehicle inclination.

Read the new Mercedes-Benz GLE review

Active safety has been extended with a default “turning manoeuvre” feature intended to automatically brake the GLE if the software determines the large SUV is at risk of a crash when turning in front of oncoming traffic.

The new Mercedes-Benz GLE rides on a 80mm longer wheelbase than the third-generation vehicle, contributing to much-improved legroom in the second row seats, along with a 35mm lift in headroom.

Boot space is 630 litres with the third row of seats folded down and the second row set fully back, expanding to 825 litres when they’re slid forwards. Drop the second row and there’s a cavernous 2055 litres of cargo room. Braked towing capacity is rated at 3500kg with a 140kg tongue limit.

Options for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE will include:
- Active body control that replaces the standard steel springs with airbags to improve ride comfort
- An additional E-active body control suspension that uses electro-hydraulic motors to individually adjust the airbags and dampers at each corner of the SUV by up to 120mm. This feature taps into the 450’s 48-volt electrics but can also be ordered on the 400d, in which case the diesel is fitted with a 48-volt battery to power the motors
- Road-surface scan that uses stereo cameras to “read” the road surface and pre-set the air suspension for bumps and potholes
- A curve driving mode that adjusts the GLE’s lateral angle by up to three degrees to keep the car flat -- and the occupants settled -- when negotiating corners at up to 120km/h
- An interior assist function that operates on gestures to active interior lights and customisable infotainment “favourites” for both the driver and passenger
- A full-colour head-up display showing current speed, the posted speed limit as determined by traffic sign recognition, radio station and paired mobile phone status
- Powered second-row seats with 100mm of fore-and-aft adjustment, reclining backrests and height-adjustable head restraints
- An off-road package that adjusts the ride height in 30mm increments up to 90mm and includes underbody protection

Mercedes-Benz Australia communications chief Jerry Stamoulis said the off-road option will be offered but he isn’t predicting a big take-up.

“We’ve only had five GLE buyers take up the pack … if owners want an off-road Mercedes-Benz, they’re buying the new G-Class as the ultimate go-anywhere four-wheel-drive,” he said.