Mercedes-Benz has begun road-testing the next-gen GLE SUV on Indian soil. The new SUV was spotted on the outskirts of Pune recently by our reader Tanmay Athalye. The current-gen GLE made its debut in September 2018. Essentially a renamed Mercedes M-Class, the fourth-gen of the SUV is more muscular in its latest form. It gets all-new styling and a fresh interior.
It also gets a more advanced suspension setup as well as more cabin space. The new GLE has a considerably longer 2,995mm wheelbase – an increase of 80mm, which means second-row leg room would increase by 69mm, to 1,045mm.
The new GLE gets two 12.3-inch screens as standard, similar to the one that made its debut on the latest A-class model sold in international markets. The steering wheel will get multi-function touch panels and a large touchpad on the centre console too.
Under the hood, the new GLE is likely to come with more than one BS6-compliant diesel engine option. The line will mostly start at the GLE 400d with a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder engine good for 330hp at 3,600-4,000rpm and 700Nm of torque at 1,200-3,000rpm. A second diesel variant, the GLE 300d, equipped with the new 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder engine (code: OM654) could also be added at launch. This engine makes 245hp at 4,200rpm and 500Nm of torque at 1,600-2,400rpm. The GLE’s petrol engine would be the 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder unit that puts out 367hp at 5,500-6,100rpm and a torque value of 500Nm at 1,600-4,500rpm. All engines come mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox.
Upon its arrival sometime early next year, the new GLE will rival the likes of the new BMW X5, the Land Rover Discovery, the Audi Q7 and the Volvo XC90 in the Indian market.
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