Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift Review: Is It Worth The Price?

Mercedes-Benz India continued to bombard us with new launches till the end of this year and the GLE facelift is amongst the last. So, did it leave the best for the last?

Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift: Design

The facelift was revealed globally earlier this year. And we’d seen the subtle changes made. So, there are no big updates on the design front. You get a redesigned headlight and tail-light design, with a single chrome strip running horizontally across the centre of the grille for the AMG Line and a double strip on the Professional Line.

The silhouette still is unmistakably a GLE. The big wheels and the new alloy wheel design add to the car's stance but it’s not exactly muscular or in your face. Subtle, yet striking, that’s how Mercedes-Benz puts it and that brief has been nailed. The bigger changes are on the inside.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift: Cabin And Features

On the inside, the facelifted GLE gets refreshed interiors that include elements borrowed from the S-Class, like the multi-function steering wheel with haptic feedback buttons. The AC vents get a chrome surround, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a 12.3-inch digital driver display. Both the screens are clear and on point when it comes to information.

A few comfort features that deserve special mention are a 13-speaker Burmester surround sound system, wireless charging and USB Type C ports, a 360-deg camera and one more feature that was first introduced into the GLC and then the EQE- the transparent bonnet.

We tested this feature earlier and it works like a charm. It works seamlessly and helps the driver get a clear view of what’s under the bonnet and that helps on rough roads or even a path laden with debris/stones.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift: Engines

On the engine's front, there are 1 petrol and 2 diesel options. But the diesel will come a little late in 2024 to be precise. What I got to drive was the 450 petrol, the most powerful of them all. All three engines also have a mild-hybrid 48V integrated starter-generator (ISG), adding 20 bhp and 200 Nm to their peak outputs. The petrol-powered GLE 450 has 375 bhp and 500 Nm from a six-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, giving it the same 0-100kph time as the 450d- 5.6 seconds.

The 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system is now standard on the car and the 9-speed gearbox is quick to react to your inputs. But if you thought that it could do better if you changed the setting to Sport mode, well, be ready to be disappointed because there isn’t one. You only get Eco, Normal and Off-road.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift: Ride and Handling

There are some changes in the ride quality though and that’s because the top-spec GLE 450 and 450d get air suspension, which adds to the comfort on the inside. There is a hint of body roll but nothing that will disturb the cabin or the passengers’ experience inside. The GLE handles any bad roads with ease and even if you throw it into a corner, it is pretty much steady in how it cruises. I have no complaints even though the ride height is a bit taller from my standpoint.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift: Verdict

Compared to rivals like the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and even the Range Rover Velar, the GLE now sits right on top as the most expensive. Starting at ₹96.40 lakh (ex-showroom India) the GLE is close to ₹5 lakh more expensive than before and the one I drove costs over ₹1 crore.

But it’s the addition of all the features and the powerful engine that are noteworthy and the reason why the costs have zoomed in! However, are there better and cheaper options out there? Of course, there are. The Velar and the X5 are miles ahead of the GLE in terms of drivability and sheer presence, not that Mercedes didn’t know about it.

Photography By: Anand Malepu