MAKING A BIGGER STYLE STATEMENT(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 78

The Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is the three-pointed star's take on BMW's X6, a large luxury crossover that rides on SUV underpinnings but which features a coupe-like sloping roof. Whether you like this genre of car or not, it's hard not to be impressed by Mercedes' execution of the theme. It's a sportier, more stylish coupe-styled version of the GLE-Class five-door model and gains an added dash of maturity in this further updated version of the second generation design.

Background word count: 180

If something works, then you should first copy it, then improve upon it. Take the rather curious, contradictory idea of a luxury SUV Coupe. BMW introduced it with their X6 model in 2007 and sold so many that Mercedes couldn't help noticing the need for something similar, hence the introduction of the first generation C292-era GLE Coupe in 2014, then followed by the announcement of this second generation C167-era version five years later. That car was lightly improved in 2023, then more substantially further updated in Spring 2026 to create the car we're going to look at here. If you'd like a sportscar but need a large SUV and want something that's fashion-conscious and stylish, this Mercedes aims to satisfy. It's certainly an arresting thing to look at, as extrovert, powerful and in-your-face as a car of this kind needs to be. Yet there is perhaps a dash of maturity here too that the rival BMW X6 maybe doesn't quite have. Enough to also perfectly position this GLE Coupe against upper-spec versions of the other key class contender, Audi's Q8.

Driving Experience word count: 868

We'd understand if you happen to be struggling to imagine what a luxury SUV that's also trying to be a sports coupe might be like to drive. We wondered too the very first time we saw such a thing, testing BMW's first generation X6 back in 2008. And then wondered some more once we looked at the clumpy underpinnings that models like this are expected to ride around on. The first generation C292-series GLE Coupe launched in 2015 was particularly bad in this respect, trolling around on the ancient architecture of a MK3 Mercedes M-Class dating back to 2011. Powerful engines ensured the car's prodigious speed in a straight line, but in this eclectic category of unsporting sports coupes, it was easily the least dynamic of the lot when it came to acquainting torque with tarmac. It would be an exaggeration to suggest that the replacement C167-era GLE Coupe we still have today is anything more than an evolutionary improvement in that mediocre showing; Porsche's Cayenne Coupe is still way out in front in this class if you want a large SUV Coupe you could really enjoy driving. But thanks to the fact that this C167 design got a 62mm shorter wheelbase than its standard SUV counterpart. And that this design was based around a more modern 'MHA' 'Modular High Architecture' chassis that was a considerable 33% stiffer than the previous platform, it's been clear since the original MK2 model launch back in 2019 that this second generation GLE Coupe is no longer the dynamic duffer it previously was. And is able to broadly match the unremarkable class handing standard set by its two main rivals, BMW's X6 and the Audi Q8. Which means you might be surprised by just how agile something this big and heavy can be through the bends. Yes it's still very clear that you're cruising about in a car with underpinnings more appropriate to tugging horseboxes about than potentially tackling the Nurburgring. But once you adjust to that - and this US-built GLE Coupe's prodigious weight and width - in some ways driving this Mercedes hard can be quite a blast. It's all very well to say that a fast E-Class Estate would make more sense, but this thing sits you much higher and bears down far more assertively on dawdling traffic ahead. It also accelerates uber-quickly and actually grips surprisingly well through the turns. You're going to want to know about engines. There are no four cylinder GLE Coupe models any more (not for the UK anyway) - and you can't now have a diesel Plug-in Hybrid either. But core sales will still be of models that drink from the black pump, both in-line six cylinder 3.0-litre diesel units with 48V mild hybrid tech featuring an integrated starter generator. The base 350 d has 278hp, while the 450 d manages 367hp. Mercedes says both units have been made quieter and more efficient - and of course 4MATIC AWD and 9G-TRONIC 9-speed auto transmission continue to feature. As an alternative to a GLE Coupe diesel, there's now just a single petrol-powered Plug-in Hybrid, the six cylinder GLE 450 e. The main drive engine as part of this package is now the brand's updated M256 Evo' 3.0-litre turbo petrol straight six unit, which has gained a new cylinder head, larger intakes and new exhaust ports. A little surprisingly though, the PHEV system's 31.2kWh battery is basically the same, so the EV range figure isn't much different, rated at up to 65 miles. Total 450 e engine output is 443hp, which combines with a rear-mounted 178hp electric motor (47hp more powerful than the one in the previous model) for a total potent 569hp output, with 0-62mph achievable in just 4.5s. That's a big jump in output from the previous four cylinder GLE Coupe 400 e PHEV. If you want to go faster in a GLE Coupe, then as before, you'll need to stretch to the high performance Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe 53, which has AMG-tuned adaptive suspension. As before, this can be had in a choice of two six cylinder petrol forms. Either in MHEV mild hybrid, with 449hp (plus a further 23hp from the EV motor); or in PHEV 'HYBRID' form, with 449hp available (plus 184hp from the EV motor). With the 'HYBRID', that means a total output of 585hp with 750Nm of torque. Mild hybrid petrol tech is also used for the top 4.0-litre V8 Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe 63 S 4MATIC+ flagship model. As with the previous version of this car, Mercedes offers a clever optional 48V E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL system which combines with the optional AIRMATIC air suspension. With this, the spring and damping forces can be individually controlled at each wheel. This means that the system not only counteracts body roll, but also pitching and squat. Improvements made as part of this update see this set-up (via an online connection) able to store the location of big bumps and potholes - either ones you've encountered or surfaces encountered by other Mercedes models equipped with the system. The result it that if you then come across the bit of road in question, the E-ACTIVE system will prepare the suspension for that bump: clever.