India-bound Mercedes GLE unveiled - IAB Report

26/03/2015 - 15:41 Mercedes GLE, Mercedes-Benz, 2015 NY Auto Show Shrawan Raja

Mild changes to the interior and exterior.

The Mercedes GLE Class (M-Class facelift following the new nomenclature) has been revealed prior to its unveiling at the 2015 New York Auto Show.

Starting with the looks, the GLE features a revised grille flanked by rehashed headlights. The rear gets new LED taillights and a sportier looking exhaust system.

The AMG variants gain virility with a new front bumper, a single band grille and 20-inch alloy wheels with a titanium grey finish. Included in the package is a rear diffuser and a quad exhaust.

The interior is very similar to the outgoing vehicle but gets a new multi-function steering wheel and a freestanding infotainment display. The new colour palette has espresso brown, ginger beige, saddle brown and porcelain - and an exhaustive trim options list that has carbon fiber, aluminum, piano black, brown ash, brown burred walnut and brown eucalyptus, among others.

Engine options for the Mercedes GLE

3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 333 PS and 480 Nm of torque
4.7-liter twin-turbo V8 with 435 PS and 700 Nm of torque
2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel with 204 PS and 480 Nm of torque
3.0-liter V6 diesel with 258 PS and 620 Nm of torque
5.5-liter V8 engine with 557 PS and 700 Nm of torque (AMG)
5.5-liter V8 engine with 585 PS and 700 Nm of torque (AMG S)

Additionally buyers will be offered the GLE 500 e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid that employs 3.0-liter V6 engine, an 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic gearbox with an integrated electric motor. Combined, it makes 442 PS and 650 Nm of torque, and delivers a mileage of 33.3 km/l in the UK, and can travel up to 30 km purely on electricity at speeds up to 130 km/h.