[karan561]

Likes;

- Looks (This 4th Gen looks more butch than the model it replaces)
- Engine Performance (OM 654 is really a great engine) + 9G Tronic Gearbox
- Space & Comfort (This Generation is only available in the LWB version & hence the V Chassis Code - Even WikiPedia has got this wrong)
- The New MBUX system is really good (Has potential to deliver iDrive levels of intuitiveness)

Dislikes;

- The Pricing of the 6 cyl variants i.e. 400d & 450 Petrol is very high & the GLS' launch will make things difficult for those variants.
- The Car Feels Under Tyred for the price point (255/50 R19) & affects the ride quality too.
- Basic Features such as Keyless Entry, 360 Degree Camera & Memory Seats are missing & at this price point its unfair.
- 7 Seats not offered (Internationally available), Also the AMG Line BodyKit Should have been offered in the higher trims which it isn't.

Video;

https://youtu.be/hbtHZjhwqY0

Exteriors;









- Its a perfect Modern interpretation of the original M class.
- Typical SUV looks from the side, smooth at the top and a little bodyline at the bottom, The Rear has one of the most well made fake exhausts as you cant make out they're fake until you closely observe, the front looks Authoritative as well.
- Alloy Wheel design selected for the 300d is very conservative.
- Unfortunately the AMG Line Bodykit is not offered in any of the variants, where as BMW on the other hand has an M Sport trim for the X5 40i.

Interiors;



- The interior even in the base trim feels decently plush. There's a feel of spaciousness & luxury thanks to the Panoramic sunroof which aids the airy nature of the cabin.
- I really LOVED the wood trim of the interior which IMO is a highlighting feature & looks expensive but a big miss that the steering did not get this element.
- A lot of ambient lighting in very cool spots. It really sets the mood in a good way while entering the car at night.
- In fact a cool feature i noticed is that when you increase the A/C temperature the ambient light of that side flashes red & then when you decrease the temperature they turn Blue. IMO this has to be one of the most slick lighting features i've ever noticed.
- Metal window switches felt good.
- Every USB in this car is a USB C, sort of announcing that this car is future proof. Wireless Charging is available too.
- 2 Split sun visors are present in the international versions but not in the Indian version.

MBUX;



- I believe this is the 2nd model in the Mercedes line up which gets the MBUX system.
- Mercedes have got rid of the rotary wheel and have replaced it with the touchpad. A lot of people still prefer a knob, however if you go through the interface of the MBUX system you'd be fairly convinced that the touchpad was the ideal upgrade over the knob.
- The Gauge Cluster is extremely customisable.

- Controllability of the MBUX unit is thru;

1) Pad
2) Touchscreen
3) Steering wheel
4) Voice Assist/Command

Some Surprising Misses in the 300d Variant which is priced @ INR 73.70L (ex-showroom);

- No Ventilated Seats
- No Keyless Entry
- No Memory Seats
- No HUD

Rear Seat Experience ;



- The back seat is the real place to be & with the front passenger seat pushed all the way forward it makes do for an absolute limousine experience.
- Another noteworthy thing is that the rear seat bench is not positioned like an SUV but its hunkered down. Some may not like it but IMO its a boon & well engineered by Mercedes.
- Soft Cushion head rests are missing which were present in the LWB E Class.
- Also sad to see there is no 3rd row of seat offered in India, because internationally this gen GLE is available with 7 seats.

Driving & Engine Performance;



- The model tested is the 300d which has a small but powerful 2L diesel motor producing 245 HP & 500 NM of torque.
- The above 2L diesel is codenamed OM 654
- This new motor helps reach 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds thats almost 1.5 seconds faster than the previous generation's 250 cdi motor.
- IIRC the C300d AMG Line was the 1st to get this engine, Yes its been BS VI compliant since end of 2018)
- Overall this engine is fairly sufficient for city limits & also the highways but the fun factor is limited because as soon as you look out to explore the fun side of this engine you suddenly realise that this is a 4 cylinder engine. But still it is fast enough.
- The OM 654 always feels torquey in the low to mid range thanks to Regulated 2 Stage (R2S) Turbocharging (supplied by BorgWarner.)
- Gearbox is the 9G Tronic 9 speeder.
- Funnily there is NO Sport Mode.

Suspension/Ride/Handling;



- There are 3 kinds of suspension on the GLE;

1) Steel Springs
2) AirMatic
3) AirMatic with E-ABC (Active Body Control i.e. Hip Hop version) I feel the best is the no nonsense base variant as its the safest to own post warranty expires. BUT the technology the E-ABC offers is unparalleled but it comes at a very steep asking price.
- The Overall Ride quality is good in the city but does get better on highways.

Some Off Road Data;



- Remember the 300d has Steel Springs & No Air Suspension as that's only available in the higher spec 450 petrol & if you would want the E-ABC then the only option is the top of the line 400d which is priced too steeply and makes very little sense as now the GLS has launched too. Also the Hip-Hop version was a limited CBU, not sure if it's still available in stock.



- A Quick word about the Handling, the car is no sporty handler but definitely handles well for its weight & size, this all may change if you drive the 400d with E-Active Body Control.

Verdict;

In an age where good SUV's are not in short supply the GLE even in the base trim raises the bar on many levels especially on the space & comfort. The 300d is a good option for the chauffeur driven for sure & most non-informed/Unenthusiastic owners wont complain either when taking the wheel.
Just wish the old days were back when 300 actually stood for a 3L engine and a 6cyl was offered at this price

[sv97]

Originally Posted by karan561

Dislikes;

- Basic Features such as Keyless Entry, 360 Degree Camera & Memory Seats are missing & at this price point its unfair.

I think the number of features in your seltos has spoilt you for choice as except for the memory seats it has all the features you mentioned above.

A great review and will help people make a better judgement till the time an official T-BHP review is there.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by sv97

I think the number of features in your seltos has spoilt you for choice as except for the memory seats it has all the features you mentioned above.

Yes sure thing

But some features like a simple keyless entry missing was a big shock & also other small cost cutting measures such as omission of the innovative twin sun shades (As mentioned in the video) was not required.

A great review and will help people make a better judgement till the time an official T-BHP review is there.

Thanks for your appreciation sv97

[earthian]

Thank you, Karan for that great review. Yes, the longer 70mm leg space in the rear would be most welcome, i am sure for the chauffeur driven.
I have the 2017 GLE and the one thing that constantly irks me is the absence of a full fledged spare wheel. my wife and i like roaming around India with the GLE, especially to forests and mountains and the baby spare wheel is woefully inadequate, as we had the misfortune to find out. We now have bought a full sized spare wheel, but it still rankles since it does not fit snugly in the well, but juts out.

What about the new GLE? Do they provide a full spare wheel?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by earthian

Thank you, Karan for that great review.

Thanks Earthian, good to have appreciation coming from an GLE owner

Yes, the longer 70mm leg space in the rear would be most welcome, i am sure for the chauffeur driven.

Indeed !

We now have bought a full sized spare wheel

Perfect.

What about the new GLE? Do they provide a full spare wheel?

No, they don't.

Haven't taken a picture of that wheel, but here's a screenshot from the brochure of the current Gen Indian spec GLE;

[mohittater]

I think for the price the equipment one gets with the new GLE is not at par what competitors offer. For almost 90 lakhs OTR price, I rather put my money on an X5 with Air Suspension, memory seats and many more things that GLE is missing.

And an absolute bummer for me is that Mercedes does not provide wireless CarPlay whereas most BMW cars do.

[AlphaPetrolhead]

Absolutely brilliant Karan ! I have been following your content on YouTube as well as your social media handles. Very Crisp & "enthusiast friendly" content !

Keep adding more reviews

[nikhilthegunner]

Enjoyed the write up! It was to the point and had all the relevant information. Was also interesting to learn that Benz changed the car's name because of BMW's objection. I didn't know that was the case at all! Thank you for the review!

[karan561]

Originally Posted by AlphaPetrolhead

Absolutely brilliant Karan ! I have been following your content on YouTube as well as your social media handles. Very Crisp & "enthusiast friendly" content !

Hey,
Thanks for your motivating comment & support

Keep adding more reviews

Sure !

Originally Posted by nikhilthegunner

Enjoyed the write up! It was to the point and had all the relevant information.

Thanks Nikhil !

Was also interesting to learn that Benz changed the car's name because of BMW's objection. I didn't know that was the case at all!

I too wasn't aware to be honest, got to know this while researching content for the video, was an interesting story hence mentioned it in the video.

Thank you for the review!

[KAUBMW7]

Great review Karan Your in depth analysis always is a great read/ watch.
Needless to reiterate what you mentioned, at this price point this GLE isn't really viable for all the features being missed out and the INR 1.1-1.25 crores for the 3 Ltr. siblings is frankly crazy, most will look at the GLS instead, with the additional row of seats and more standard features.

Heck, with the niche factor one would even look at the Porsche (a loaded Macan or a decent Cayenne) at these price points. This may not pose too much of a competition to the BMW (X5) too... maybe a biased view

[Hayek]

Yet another fantastic review Karan. The car does look a lot nicer and more modern than the X5, and is streets ahead of the old GLE. But I do find the pricing and engine configuration strategy strange. The GLE 300d has 10% less power and 20% less torque than the X5 30d, has steel spring suspension vs the adaptive suspension, and costs slightly more than the X5. Yes, the interiors are better, it is slightly wider - but the so called long wheel base is only 20 mm longer than that of the X5, and the overall length of both vehicles is identical. The GLE400d is of course streets ahead of the X530d - but is it worth ₹50 l more - certainly not. Guess the only saving grace for Mercedes is that BMW has probably hurt itself with the oversized grill - there are probably some folks who don’t want to be seen emerging from a Sabre toothed tiger. Did you pick one up, or was this just borrowed for the review?

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by Hayek

The GLE400d is of course streets ahead of the X530d - but is it worth ₹50 l more - certainly not.

The GLE400d is about 5 lakhs more, not for the hip hop version, the non CBU 6 cylinder. In fact the petrol and diesel are at the same price (89 lakhs ex showroom). Not sure if bmw offers adaptive dampers in which case the price difference is too much for the GLE to be considered value.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by KAUBMW7

Great review Karan Your in depth analysis always is a great read/ watch.

Thanks for the compliments

Originally Posted by Hayek

Yet another fantastic review Karan.

Thanks for your valued comments Hayek !

The car does look a lot nicer and more modern than the X5, and is streets ahead of the old GLE. But I do find the pricing and engine configuration strategy strange.

Did you pick one up, or was this just borrowed for the review?

No, this was a Mercedes-Benz India test/fleet car, had it with me for around 2 days for review.

Originally Posted by avira_tk

In fact the petrol and diesel are at the same price (89 lakhs ex showroom).

Yes, GLE 400d (Non E-ABC Version) was launched later @ 89.xxL Ex-Showroom, India.