Mercedes GLE officially unveiled

2016 Mercedes GLE

Mercedes has officially unveiled the 2016 GLE, following this afternoon's leak.
Set to debut at the New York Auto Show, the GLE is essentially a facelifted M-Class which adopts the company's new nomenclature.  As a result, it has a familiar design but features a new front fascia with a revised grille that is flanked by restyled headlights.  The rear end has also been "updated cautiously" as it has new LED taillights and a sportier exhaust system.
The AMG variants are a tad more aggressive as they distinguished by a sportier front bumper, a single bar grille and 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels with a titanium grey finish.  The high-performance crossovers also have a rear diffuser and a four-tailpipe exhaust system.
The interior largely carries over but drivers will find a new multi-function steering wheel and a freestanding infotainment system.  There's also a revised color palette - that includes ginger beige, espresso brown, saddle brown and porcelain - and an extensive assortment of trim.  Speaking of the latter customers can order aluminum, carbon fiber, piano black, brown ash, brown eucalyptus and brown burred walnut - just to name a few.

Under the hood, an assortment of engines will be available including:

• A twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 with 333 PS (245 kW) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque
• A twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 with 435 PS (320 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque
• A 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel with 204 PS (150 kW) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque
• A 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel with 258 PS (190 kW) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque

Buyers looking for something more powerful can opt for the GLE 63 AMG which features a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 engine that develops 557 PS (410 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque.  It enables the crossover to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The GLE 63 AMG S goes one step further as it produces 585 PS (577 bhp / 430 kW) and 760 Nm (561 lb-ft) of torque.  Thanks to the extra oomph, the model runs from 0-100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
Customers can also order the GLE 500 e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid which features a 3.0-liter BlueDIRECT V6 engine, an 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery and a seven-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with an integrated electric motor.  This setup enables the crossover to produce a combined maximum output of 442 PS (325 kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque.  Despite being relatively powerful, the model returns 3.3 L/100 km (71.2 mpg US / 85.6 mpg UK) and can travel up to 30 km (18.6 miles) on electricity alone at speeds up to at 130 km/h (80.7 mph).

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