Every Mercedes carries an inherently aspirational quality, and the GLE sits at the center of the lineup: a mid-size luxury SUV that could be someone's first or tenth, with a powertrain and pricing range that stretches from sensible to extravagant. The GLE descends from the original ML-class, and for 2027 Mercedes says the model has more than 3000 new or revised components relative to the current version.
Mirroring its larger sibling the GLS, the GLE offers a 375-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six and a 530-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a flat-plane crankshaft — the latter adopted not for high-revving excitement, but to satisfy forthcoming emissions regulations. A 255-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder provides a more attainable entry point, and there's now a plug-in hybrid based on the six-cylinder that generates 429 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. For those wanting something spicier, the Mercedes-AMG GLE53 Hybrid builds on that to make 577 horsepower. Both the 375-hp GLE450 and the GLE53 can also be had in GLE Coupe form with its sloping roofline. The number of choices here is genuinely substantial.
Every GLE receives an expansive panoramic sunroof — 10.8 square feet according to Mercedes, and it actually slides open, the front half retracting over the rear. All-wheel drive is universal, paired with a two-speed transfer case that provides genuine low-range capability. The GLE580 alone gets the E-Active Body Control suspension, which samples road inputs 1000 times per second and can jack the body up to help escape difficult terrain like deep sand. Lesser GLE models with Airmatic suspension gain a different clever feature: predictive damper prep delivered via cloud data from other Mercedes vehicles. Drive over a pothole and your car might alert another Mercedes approaching the same spot two miles behind.
Clever is also the word for the aptly titled Magic Vision Control — essentially a windshield deep-clean cycle that parks the wipers mid-sweep and floods the glass with washer fluid to dissolve stubborn grime. This marks the first time the feature has been available on a GLE.
Self-cleaning wipers are genuinely useful. The GLE's AI-powered MBUX virtual assistant is harder to evaluate, but you'll certainly see it: it manifests as an on-screen avatar within the standard MBUX Superscreen — three 12.3-inch displays behind one continuous glass surface. A video-conferencing integration with Microsoft Teams is also included, allowing you to appear on camera during a call while you're behind the wheel. We'd rather leave the TPS report discussions to the MBUX avatar while we focus on actually driving at 70 mph.
On that note: the GLE should be a capable and enjoyable vehicle to pilot. It hauls up to 7700 pounds when towing, and non-Coupe versions offer an available third row — one better suited to shorter passengers than what the GLS accommodates.
The lineup's sheer width creates some inevitable overlap. Mercedes quotes identical 0-to-60 sprints of 4.4 seconds for both the GLE580 and the AMG GLE53 Hybrid. Flat-plane V-8 or six-cylinder plug-in hybrid? Coupe or conventional SUV? Two rows or three? The GLE seems to cover every conceivable preference, and there's apparently more to come — though that will have to wait until June.
