New Mercedes GLE: 6-cylinder power and AI tech for latest luxury SUV

On sale Late 2026 | Price from £80,000 (est)

The Swiss army knife is the ultimate do-it-all tool. Whether you need to clip your fingernails, remove a stone from a horse’s hoof or quietly whittle intricate patterns on a stick, it’s got you covered.

Its equivalent in automotive terms is the luxury SUV – and the comprehensively reworked Mercedes GLE. That’s because new suspension tech means it’ll do the comfort thing better, new technology means it’s more intelligent and new engines mean the range is more powerful than before.

Of course, all of that is preceded by a new look for both the SUV and Coupé SUV versions, the literal highlights of which are the new Digital Lights. These high-resolution beam-shifting Matrix LED headlights have a 40% larger beam, and are significantly brighter than the units in the old GLE – yet use half the power, and include bold new Mercedes stars. The lights, which were introduced with the Mercedes S-Class luxury car can even project warning symbols and animations on the road. There are new rear lights, too, which contain yet more three-pointed star graphics. 

However, it’s inside where you’ll find the wow factor. The current GLE’s interior hardly feels spartan, but sitting in it, the new model feels positively luxurious. It feels as though there’s been an uptick in quality, but all eyes will be on the new full-width Superscreen which comes lifted from last year’s CLA. 

It’s a trio of infotainment screens that sit behind a single glass panel which operate the lion’s share of functions – although there are physical rocker switches for the climate control on the centre console, and more rockers on the steering wheel, replacing the fiddly touch-sensitive items in the current car.

The tech is backed by Mercedes’ latest MB.OS operating system, which uses a combination of ChatGPT, Google and Microsoft AI, and is cloud-connected, allowing it access to the firm’s own app store. That AI software should mean it’s easier to use than before. The sat-nav is based on Google Maps, over which the GLE places augmented reality navigation and traffic information. 

Other smart features include a digital key, which allows the driver to lock, unlock and start the car using their phone hands-free, and a transparent bonnet, similar to off-road technology already offered by Land Rover.

The core GLE range is based around a new range of 3.0-litre, six-cylinder mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines, plus a plug-in hybrid. Mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid AMG GLE 53 models will also be offered, and a range-topping ‘63’ version will join the ranks, too.

The plug-in hybrid model can travel up to 66 miles under official figures, and together the engine and motors produce 322bhp. Despite a 74bhp increase in power over the current model, the plug-in hybrids aren’t the fastest-accelerating versions in the GLE range: at 5.6 sec, its 0-62mph is less than the mild-hybrid petrol 450 and 450d diesel versions, but swifter than the entry-level 350d diesel. By contrast, PHEV versions of the Audi Q7 and BMW X5 are the swiftest in their regular ranges.

While we’re yet to sample these new engines, previous experience suggests that six-cylinder power trumps four-cylinders when it comes to smoothness.

Speaking of smoothness, the GLE’s air suspension gathers information about road conditions and is able to communicate with other compatible Mercedes models via the cloud. Each car can feed off this information to adjust its suspension before it encounters a bump. It can use the same technology to transmit and receive information about hazards ahead – effectively seeing around corners.

It has benefits when driving off-road, too, because it can raise and lower the car to, in effect, rock itself free should the wheels become stuck, and each can be adjusted independently to improve the GLE’s alignment if a wheel is stuck in a ditch or fully compressed. This system will need to be particularly effective if it is to better the Land Rover Defender, our current favourite luxury off-roader.

Of more day-to-day use is its ability to lower the car by 50mm to make it easier to load bulky objects into the boot.

The hard points remain the same as the current GLE, that means generous space in the first and second row seats – indeed you’ll find more space here than the resolutely family-friendly Land Rover Discovery, and there’s more leg room than you’ll find in a Mercedes S-Class luxury car. There’s also still the option of a third row in the SUV – the GLE Coupé remains a five seater. 

Similarly, boot space is unchanged: the 630 litres of the SUV can grow to 825 by sliding the rear seats forward (electrically, naturally), and surprisingly the Coupé has even more space, at 655 litres. It’s important to note that you lose 140 litres of this in plug-in hybrid versions of both, due to their hefty batteries.

A panoramic glass roof now comes as standard on all models, which bathes both versions in light. However, while head room remains plentiful in the regular GLE, it means that anyone over six feet will likely find their head brushing the lower roofline of the Coupé.

Mercedes is yet to confirm final UK specifications, and prices will be announced closer to the new GLE going on sale by the end of the year – however, a small price hike is likely, so expect a starting price of a little more than £80,000.

Read more: Best luxury SUVs

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