Facelifted Mercedes GLE SUV costs £8k more than the old car

• Revised exterior design and lighting
• Latest MBUX infotainment software
• On sale now with prices starting from £77,890

The Mercedes GLE has received a facelift for 2023. The changes to the German brand’s BMW X5 rival mirrors those made to the E-Class executive car a few years ago, with a sharper-looking design and an updated infotainment system.

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The new Mercedes GLE is on sale now, with prices starting from £77,890 for the 300 d diesel model in AMG Line trim – around £8,000 more than the outgoing car. The current generation of GLE went on sale back in 2019 and this update is intended to reinvigorate customer interest – especially in light of the launch of the new Range Rover Sport. Other competitors include the Audi Q7, not to mention the Volvo XC90 and Porsche Cayenne.

As before, the facelifted Mercedes GLE will be available in both SUV and Coupe bodystyles – the latter is only available in top-of-the-range AMG Line Premium Plus guise and will set buyers back an eye-watering £92,675. Both have received revised front and rear bumpers, alongside a more intricate front grille design, stamped with miniature three-pointed Mercedes stars – as seen on the new Mercedes C-Class. The GLE has also had a revamp in terms of exterior lighting, with redesigned LED headlights and tail lights.

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There are more changes inside, including Mercedes’ new double-spoke steering wheel, which made its debut on the facelifted E-Class, back in 2021. This incorporates touch-sensitive controls and even boasts configurable screens on high-performance AMG variants.

In addition to a few more flashes of chrome around the cabin and a handful more trim customisation options, the new Mercedes GLE has also received an update to its infotainment system. The facelifted car retains the outgoing model’s dual-screen setup – comprising twin 12.3-inch screens – but now includes the latest version of Merc’s MBUX infotainment software. This not only brings the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant and the compatibility for over-the-air updates, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available wireless if you’d rather use your phone’s software.

Mercedes is only offering the GLE in AMG Line trim; this comes highly-equipped as standard, with all cars getting 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a Burmester speaker system, a wireless phone charger, adaptive headlights, blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera system. Buyers can also specify Premium and Premium Plus packs, with the former adding 21-inch alloys, a panoramic sunroof and cooled, memory front seats, while the latter gets all of this, alongside gloss black 22-inch wheels, massaging seats and a head-up display.

All versions of the Mercedes GLE come as standard with all-wheel-drive. Buyers have a choice of either one petrol or two diesel engines; the GLE 300 d and GLE 400 d diesel models both benefit from 48-volt mild hybrid technology to improve fuel economy – Mercedes claims the former of which will return over 40mpg on the combined WLTP test cycle. While the six-cylinder GLE 450 petrol engine isn’t nearly as efficient, its potent 376bhp output will propel the two-tonne GLE from 0-62mph in just 5.6 seconds.

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The pair of plug-in hybrid models will mostly appeal to company car drivers, thanks to their low Benefit in-Kind tax rating. The petrol-powered GLE 400 e produces a combined output of 276bhp, while the GLE 350 de diesel hybrid makes-do a slightly lower 241bhp – although its heftier 750Nm torque output should make it an ideal candidate for hauling heavy loads. 

Both hybrid models offer a claimed pure-electric range of 60 miles, which is short of the 70 miles offered by the new Range Rover Sport PHEV, however should be sufficient to cover the majority of commutes. An 11kW on-board AC charger is now available as standard, while 60kW DC rapid charging capability is also offered as an option – this will top up the battery in around half an hour, provided you use a compatible public fast charger.

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Finally, there are the two high-performance AMG-badged models: the GLE 53 and GLE 63 S, which both come with a host of styling and performance upgrades and are yet to go on sale. The former is powered by a six-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a mighty 429bhp – this can be boosted by 22bhp for a short while, thanks to a 48-volt starter generator, bringing the 0-62mph time down to just five seconds (previously 5.3 seconds).

The range-topping GLE 63 S is even more extreme with its monstrous 603bhp V8 engine – once again, this can be boosted by 22bhp for a short while, allowing it to cover the 0-62mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds.

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