Continuing with the ’15 in 15′ strategy, Mercedes Benz India will launch their 13th car of this year, in the form of GLE Class. The new GLE Class, which made its global debut at the New York International Auto Show in April this year, is basically the ML Class facelift. And as per the new Mercedes nomenclature, it gets a new name as well – GLE.
Speaking about design changes to be seen on board the new GLE Class, it features LED DRLs with projector headlamps, revised styling of the front and rear bumpers, air dams have been enhanced to give the car a sportier look, new double slat grille with Three Pointed Star logo in the centre, silver skid plates, and twin rectangular exhausts.
On the inside, GLE features a 7 inch free standing infotainment system powered by new faster software and processor, leather seat upholstery can be chosen from a wide range of colours and designs, dashboard also features carbon and wooden accents, giving the interiors a very classy yet premium feel.
Powering the Mercedes Benz GLE Class in India will be the same two engines which are offered on board the ML Class. These are 2.1 liter 4 cylinder diesel generating 203 hp and 500 Nm of torque, and a 3.0 liter diesel V6 generating 254 hp and 619 Nm torque. The variants will be named GLE 250 CDI and GLE 350 CDI, respectively.
The new addition under the hood is a 9 speed automatic gearbox, which replaces the existing 7 speed autobox. The 9 speed box is said to deliver smoother gearshifts, better acceleration and drivability along with improved fuel efficiency.
Speaking about price, it is expected to be in the same range as the existing ML Class, which ranges from INR 56.50 lakhs to INR 68 lakhs, ex-showroom, New Delhi.
Apart from the standard ML Class, Mercedes Benz also offers the more powerful ML 63 AMG (INR 1.5 crore) and the M Guard (INR 2.5 crore) in India. It is not known when will these be replaced by the GLE 63 AMG and the GLE Guard.
