Ex-showroom prices of the new Mercedes-Benz GLE LWB 4MATIC 450 and 400d variants stand at Rs 88.80 lakh and Rs 89.90 lakh, respectively
Mercedes-Benz India has expanded its GLE range of mid-size SUVs with the launch of two more LWB 4MATIC variants: 450 (petrol) and 400d (diesel). Prices start at Rs 88.80 lakh and Rs 88.90 lakh, respectively. The German automaker previously sold the new-gen Mercedes-Benz GLE in the country in two BS6-compliant formats: 300d and 400d Hip Hop (yes, it is an actual nametag). Launched in January 2020, their respective prices were set as Rs 73.70 lakh and Rs 1.25 crore. All figures mentioned here are ex-showroom.
Coming to the new variants, both the 450 4MATIC and 400d 4MATIC are CKD (Completely Knocked Down) products assembled at Mercedes-Benz India’s manufacturing facility in Chakan, Pune. Based on pricing, major rivals of the GLE range include the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90.
Starting with the petrol model, the GLE 450 is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo straight-six mill coupled to a 48V mild-hybrid system. The ICE churns out 362bhp and 500Nm of torque by itself and is backed by another 22bhp and 250Nm from the electric unit when needed. The GLE 450d is powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel motor churning out 325bhp and 700Nm. Either engine comes mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission (9G-TRONIC) that sends the output to all four wheels as the ‘4MATIC’ tag implies.
The regular CKD 400d differs from its higher CBU Hip Hop format by an intimidating price jump of Rs 36 lakh. To justify such a steep hike, the latter boasts of E-Active Body Control (active suspension system that gave its ‘Hip Hop’ moniker), premium 13-speaker Burmester audio, nine airbags (against seven) and a heads-up display.
Visually, both models are nearly identical to each other. Common features include advanced LED lighting, powered rear seats, four-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof and dual 12.3-inch displays (instrument console and infotainment system) loaded with the latest MBUX software. Mercedes-Benz will introduce a totally different direction of interiors with the launch of the W223 S-Class.
India is apparently the only market in the world which gets the fourth-gen ML-Class in an LWB (Long Wheelbase) avatar. Though the India-spec V167 GLE is dimensionally identical to the global-spec W167 chassis, the company added the ‘LWB’ tag to differentiate it from the earlier BS4 W166 model which was sold alongside for a brief period. The current-gen GLE is just 8cm longer than its predecessor.