#Gle550e drivers
#Gle550e full

Comfort is a given, particularly thanks to the (optional) multicontour front buckets, heated and ventilated with massage feature. Nearly everything that moves is powered at a button’s touch. Luxury details abound, as expected in this price range. Stitched soft-touch MB-Tex (mock leather) lines the upper dash and door tops. Our Polar White test vehicle had gorgeous, two-tone ginger beige and black leather seats, with planks of natural grain brown ash wood on the dash and console.

When set in charge mode, the gasoline engine runs continuously to recharge the lithium-ion battery.Īmong the GLE’s many high points, the richly crafted cabin stands out. When gas power is needed, the engine restarts instantly and responds immediately. It automatically shuts off the engine when coasting, at stoplights and in other idle situations. The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE 550e will go on sale this September, roughly a month after the launch of the rest of the new GLE-Class range.įollow GreenCarReports on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.Driven more modestly, the 550e’s hybrid system saves fuel in several ways.

MORE: Three Mercedes Plug-In Hybrids On Sale By End Of 2015: S-Class, C-Class, ML-Class (May 2014) The 8.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is located under the rear load deck.

#Gle550e drivers

Meanwhile, its fuel consumption figures on the same cycle are even lower than those of the GLE 200d diesel four-cylinder version (which won't be offered in the States).Īs with the other plug-in hybrids, drivers can select from among Hybrid mode (the default), E-Mode (which provides all-electric travel up to 81 mph), E-Save (which conserves battery charge for later use), and Charge (which uses the engine to charge the battery, an inefficient but convenient way to travel on all-electric power later in your trip). On the more lenient NEDC European test cycle, it achieves up to 30 km (18.6 miles) of all-electric range. ratings for the plug-in GLE's electric range or fuel efficiency.ĪLSO SEE: 2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive

This powertrain is quite similar to that used in the plug-in hybrid S-Class sedan, while that of the smaller C 350e pairs the electric motor with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine instead. Maximum torque is a substantial 479 lb-ft. Total power output from the two systems working together is quoted at 436 hp. The powertrain of the GLE 550e comprises a 329-hp V-6 engine with a 85-kilowatt (114 hp) electric motor sandwiched between the engine and an adapted version of the company's seven-speed automatic transmission. It's the third plug-in hybrid in the range, after the 2015 S 550 Plug-In Hybrid (shortly to go on sale in California) and the 2016 C 350e (for which we'll release driving impressions shortly).ĭON'T MISS: 2016 Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid: First Details From Detroit Auto Show

#Gle550e full

The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE may seem like a new model, but in fact it's the renamed sport-utility vehicle we used to know as the ML-Class.Īnd the company has released details of the full range of 2016 GLE models, including its first-ever plug-in hybrid SUV, to be known as the GLE 550e.