first drive
Mercedes-Benz GLE 350de 4Matic AMG Line
Hybrid hero
Mark Bursa
I
T’S PERHAPS PREDICTABLE THAT A LOT
of manufacturers have gone down the SUV route for their first “proper” electric cars. After all, it’s where the hot spot of the market seems to be, and there are practical advantages too – a tall body design gives designers a nice underfloor area to stash the cumbersome battery pack. Mercedes-Benz’s EQ-C is now on sale, offering 250-mile all-electric range, and clearly the EQ sub-brand is set to play a major role in the future – it’s already rolling out a whole range of EQbranded EVs of all shapes and sizes. But Mercedes hasn’t yet abandoned the hybrid – far from it, with diesel and petrol plug-in versions of E-Class still leading the way in the executive sector. And Mercedes has now installed a version of the same powertrain in its GLE SUV, giving the option of a full-size, roomy sports utility that is London ULEZ-compliant, while offering all the performance and range advantages of a diesel. What’s not to like? The GLE is pitched against big rivals such as Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Volvo XV90. It is descended from the previous Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and
28
initially, it was just a case of rebadging the car to bring it into line with Merc’s more logical naming structure. The interior is perhaps the most significant upgrade on the latest generation GLE model, The new version on test here is basically a major facelift, bringing the car up to the standard of its E-class saloon brethren. Inside the car, it’s very recognisably a Mercedes, with the wide-screen “floating dashboard”, just like you’ll find in an E-Class, or a current-gen S-Class. Mercedes enthusiasts will have no problem acclimatising to the controls, including the latestgeneration touch-pad Comand controller and the usual cluster of steering wheel buttons. Our test car featured a stylish, predominantly black interior, with aluminimum-effect detailing rather than shiny chrome. Plenty of good features, including a wireless phone charging pad, but the USB sockets only seemed to be the latest, USB-C ones with the smaller socket, so if you’re using older USB devices, you’ll need to buy an adaptor. The big display is of the same standard as the E-class – gone are the old analogue dials and inset satnav screen. It’s comfortable and very refined, with engine noise minimised by the hybrid
powertrain and relatively little road rumble, despite the chunky 4x4 tyres. On our test drive, we selected standard hybrid mode and immediately the battery does most of the work. Out of the first 27 miles of driving, 18 were by battery, with 23 miles remaining. Mercedes claims 66 miles of electric range on a full charge, which is one of the best PHEV ranges we’ve tested. We didn’t drive it for long enough to get a meaningful mpg figure, which is obviously dependent on how frequently the car is charged up. And with a diesel engine providing the ICE element of the drivetrain, there’s plenty of overall range – around 550 miles on a full tank. So a long journey can be non-stop – something that’s not possible with the EQC and its 250-mile electric range. Seats are comfortable, and there’s plenty of rear legroom. Boot space is generous too, and although the 31.2kWh battery pack sits below the luggage area, it doesn’t take away so much space as tor ender the boot cramped. The boot has a slightly lower total capacity than the conventional GLE (490 litres versus 630 litres) but that’s still a decent size. However, the electrical paraphernalia
FEBRUARY 2021
