Unlike Detroit, New York is renowned for a lot of different things and among them, cars aren’t ranked very high. Except for the month of April, when the Big Apple hosts the second largest car show in the US.
It wasn’t very long ago that the all new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe was launched in Detroit, so having the new GLE also make its public debut on American soil says something about the US market’s importance for the Mercedes-Benz brand.
This facelift – because it’s a facelift we’re talking about – will also mark the switch to the new nomenclature for the old M-Class which from now on will be known as the GLE.
It’s not just the name the new GLE will borrow from its hunchbacked sibling, but also some of the styling features, especially in the front of the car. So, expect the same sleeker headlights and the modified grille, as well as some other touches at the rear aimed at the taillights, exhausts and the air diffuser. The interior will not go unnoticed either, the most obvious of the changes being the floating display for the navigation/entertainment system. It will also inherit the new DYNAMIC SELECT system which allows the driver to adjust the settings for suspension, steering and throttle response on the fly.
There is also a new version planned dubbed the GLE 400 which will replace the ML 350. It it said to use the same 3.0 litre direct-injection V6 petrol engine as the SL 400, with figures that go like this: 328 hp and 354 lb-ft. It should prove a big hit for the American market, if not the biggest selling version.
Spy images with the car in testing have shown it hit the track on the famous Nürburgring, something that clearly states the new GLE will be more than just your regular family large SUV – and not just in its AMG guise.
Sales should start shortly after the official presentation while the prices are yet to be announced, but shouldn’t provide any surprises.
