Mercedes-Benz opens bookings for all-new GLE

Bookings open for the GLE pre-launch

Mercedes’ popular luxury SUV was updated earlier this year but its India launch was not clearly visible on the horizon. Owing to customer demand the company has opened up booking for the new GLE and is set to launch the SUV before the 2020 Auto Expo. The 2020 GLE, now in its fourth generation, has gone through major changes both on the outside as well as the inside.

The festive season brings about a change in market trends the country. The slowing automotive industry was eagerly awaiting a turn in their fate and they were not disappointed. There were records broken for single day sales from various brands. Mercedes-Benz in particular sold more than 600 cars on the occasion of Dhanteras with a record 250 cars finding homes in Delhi NCR alone!

Thanks to an increase in sales the company also sold their entire stock of the outgoing GLE, three months before expected and seeing this demand the company decided to open up bookings for the all-new GLE.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE

The new GLE has grown in proportions with a wheelbase that’s almost 80mm longer than the outgoing model which translates to around 69mm of extra legroom for rear seat passengers. The car is also taller than before and gets an additional 33mm of headroom.

The new GLE is a tech-fest on the inside with two large 12.3-inch screens, one serving as the digital driver’s display and the other as the main infotainment screen. The screens will be powered by Mercedes’ latest MBUX software. The screens can be controlled via various interfaces including the multi-function steering wheel, touchscreen or even voice commands that can now recognise more natural commands such as “I’m feeling cold” to turn the cabin temperature up. Staying on the topic of the climate control, the interior ambient lighting does a neat party trick when adjusting the cabin temperature. turning red when increasing the temperature and blue when decreasing the temperature.

The GLE sold in international markets gets the E-Active Body Control suspension as an option which gives the GLE an almost magic carpet ride with advanced air suspension on all four corners that can be individually controlled to provide supreme comfort. It also has a neat trick to jiggle the body up and down to give traction to the tyres if the car is stuck off-road. We will know if this option will come to India once the car is launched.

BS6 Compliant

The new GLE will be powered by a set of BS6 compliant engines. The GLE 400d is expected to be the diesel option available at launch that makes 325bhp and a healthy 700Nm of torque from a 3.0-litre six cylinder engine. We also expect a six cylinder petrol engine in the line up as well as a smaller diesel to be launched later. All engines will be mated to a nine speed automatic gearbox.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz E 220 d test drive review

The GLE faces tough competition with the likes of the BMW X5 which was updated recently, the Audi Q7 Volvo XC90 and the Land Rover Discovery all trying to reign supreme in the luxury SUV segment. The all-new GLE is expected to go up in price slightly as opposed to the outgoing model which starts at Rs 67 lakh (ex-showroom).