Mercedes-Benz don update di 2027 GLE, and even though di sheetmetal remain di same, di front and rear fascias don change. Di grille now carry rows and rows of little three-pointed stars. Mercedes VP of product strategy, Christoph Starzynski, no like when person call di 2027 GLE a second face-lift. He insist say na complete new car in old clothing. Reviewers talk say dat one na stretch, but dem agree say plenty improvements dey under di skin.
Di GLE na direct descendant of Mercedes first sport-ute, di 1997 M-Class. Di current generation arrive for 2020 as SUV and fastback coupe, then get midcycle refresh for 2024 with new plug-in hybrid, updated infotainment, enhanced off-road features, and subtle styling changes. For 2027, Mercedes boast 40 percent new parts. Di updates include new Superscreen dashboard, powertrain upgrades, suspension and brake changes, plus MB.OS software platform wey allow over-the-air updates.
Engine lineup don overhaul. Di four-cylinder GLE350 start at $69,850. Di six-cylinder GLE450 follow at $76,250. Di GLE500e plug-in hybrid cost $82,450. Di V-8-powered GLE580 start at $97,750. Di coupe only dey available in GLE450 trim, priced at $82,750. All those numbers include 4Matic four-wheel drive but no options, and on Mercedes options fit pricey well well.
Di GLE500e plug-in hybrid swap from four-cylinder power to 3.0-liter straight-six. Total output rise to 429 horsepower and 502 pound-feet, an increase of 48 hp and 23 lb-ft over di old PHEV. Mercedes anticipate as much as 60 miles of electric-only driving, which if e become official EPA number, go be 10 miles better than di outgoing PHEV. Di 500e fit fast charge for CCS DC chargers, but 60-kW charging rate dey on di low side. Mercedes estimate 0 to 80 percent charge time of 30 minutes. Di hybrid powertrain refinement impress, di straight-six almost undetectable, engine start and stop barely noticeable. At low speed e nearly silent; at high revs you hear muscular thrum, though much come through speakers. Di nine-speed automatic slow to respond to quick throttle stabs, but battery boost cover di fault.
Di GLE450 use 375-hp, 413-lb-ft turbo inline-six. Mercedes estimate 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, while di hybrid do 5.3 seconds. Di 450 get 48-volt mild hybrid system with motor-generator wey double as starter on di crankshaft. Starting feel almost impossible to detect. Di GLE580 get extensively upgraded 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 with flat-plane crankshaft. Output na 530 hp and 553 lb-ft, up 20 hp and 15 lb-ft over last year 580. V-8 power and noise dey, but transmission lag still dey. Mercedes also promise more powerful AMG versions later.
Suspension don retune for 2027. All GLE models wey reviewers drive get air-sprung suspension, which optionally uses cloud data to tune itself to road conditions. E soft, really soft, pillow soft. Combined with low wind and road noise, cabin turn to cocoon of isolation. But on really uneven pavement, air suspension body motion fit cause motion sickness. Sport mode battens down di suspension. Shorter-wheelbase coupes tuned slightly stiffer, but difference easy to miss. E-Active Body Control also dey, and e fit predict body movements before dem happen, though some reviewers feel say standard Airmatic suspension pleasant enough.
Inside, Mercedes-Benz latest MBUX Superscreen setup dey, with three 12.3-inch displays: one for digital instrument cluster, one center touchscreen, and one for front passenger. Di panel stretch nearly full width of dashboard, but e actually three separate screens surrounded by blank bezels. Driver panel get multiple display modes and 3D effect. Center screen bright and crisp. Passenger screen fit play movies and games, and when e dey on while car dey move, e go invisible to driver. Head-up display project augmented reality arrows for navigation. Hey Mercedes voice command get AI, e fit turn on seat massager, but e no fit switch to Sport mode. System dey listen too long after answer. Mercedes retain physical switches for climate control. Di old trackpad still dey, finicky and space hog, and GLE need more storage.
Exterior design don change as part of broader Mercedes-Benz design refresh. Plenty three-pointed stars scatter across grille, headlights, hood, and more. One fun fact: there are 162 of them on di Coupe. Headlights chunky and blend into oversized grille. Lower bumper get new treatment wey some reviewers call clunky. New paint options include Patagonia Red Metallic and Dark Petrol Solid, plus updated 22- and 23-inch wheels. Some reviewers think di updated design work better on di Coupe than SUV.
For driving assist, di new SUVs get all sensors necessary for Mercedes hands-free driving tech, which go become available later via over-the-air update. Di GLE MB.Drive lane centering system na hands-on type. If you put torque on di wheel, e fit think say you want do di steering and e no go guide itself through curves. Automated lane change fit start by car or driver, but operation intermittent for test drive. Mercedes promise Level 2++ automation through future OTA update, meaning you fit program destination for nav and GLE go drive itself under your supervision.
Like di new GLE, di 2027 GLS borrow top engine from updated S-Class, a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 wey now feature flat-plane crankshaft. Both GLE and GLS front ends get resurfaced bumpers, plus grilles with rows and rows of little three-pointed stars. Di GLE and GLS suspensions have been retuned, and Mercedes E-Active Body Control now benefit from info beamed down from di cloud to help prepare di car for upcoming potholes. Engineers work hard to hide di fact say di V-8 switch to flat-plane crankshaft; di result feel and sound a lot like di engine e replace.
