On And Off The Road In New Mercedes GLE

Passenger ride in X5 rival.

Due on sale early next year.

- Andreas May

AS with the latest A-Class hatch, the all-new Mercedes GLE is a masterclass in cutting-edge tech. But the digital cockpit is not our main focus here. Today, we’re sitting alongside chief engineer and head of testing Rüdiger Rutz for a ride in the new SUV, ahead of its launch at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this year.

First, the facts. The previous GLE (codename W166) came into the world as the M-Class. It underwent a facelift in 2015 and from then on it was called the GLE. But this old car trailed the BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport dynamically.

This new GLE (codename V167) has no more in common with the W166 than “two or three bolts – that’s about it”, according to Stefanie Schmitz, project manager for the GLE development.