Compared to the most recent snaps some two months ago, the newest posted by the walkoART YouTube page shows the V167 GLE wearing only the previously sighted thin layers of film on the head-and-taillights, a surprisingly absent three-pointed star badge and a white, non-production, plastic front bumper. A new oddity though is the badges placed on the C-pillar, on the windscreen and rear window, which features a camera symbol.
Aside from this fixture, the GLE, unlike the W166 model it replaces, which was known as the M-class until 2015, will be brand-new underneath, measuring 80mm longer at 4.9m according to a first drive prototype report by Britain’s Auto Express.
Based on the publication’s findings of a pre-production GLE 450, the V167 will, according to GLE Project Manager Stefanie Schmitz, have only “two or three bolts” in common with the W166, and feature a new Off-road Plus that incorporates not only a low range gearbox, but a new air suspension system that can lift the chassis by 50mm.
In addition to the new underpinnings, the GLE will also be lighter than the outgoing model and get Benz’s new Active Body Control system, as well as the same interior as the E-and-S-class. As before, a coupe-styled variant will arrive next year to rival the BMW X6 and Audi Q8.
Up front, the GLE’s assortment of engine will include four and six-cylinder turbo-petrol and diesel engines, which in the case of the above mentioned 450, is a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol that produces the same 270kW/500Nm as the CLS 450, but with the addition of a 48-volt electric motor as per Mercedes-Benz’s EQ Boost hybrid setup that releases an additional 16kW/250Nm for short bursts.
No additional technical details were divulged, but expect the GLE, as in the case of the E-class and CLS, to come powered by a 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel producing 180kW/500Nm in 300d badged models, a 3.0-litre V6 oil burner in the GLE 350d that outputs 210kW/600Nm and 250kW/700Nm from the same engine in GLE 400d guise.
Spotted last month undergoing testing, the GLE will also become the latest addition to AMG’s 53-line of models, effectively replacing the current bi-turbo V6 AMG GLE 43 with the same mild-hybrid setup as the CLS 53 and E53, albeit tuned to produce 320kW/520Nm with the same EQ Boost extra output figures.
At the sharp end, the AMG fettled GLE 63 will drop the 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 for the same AMG GT derived twin-blower 4.0-litre V8, which will likely push out the same 420kW/750Nm or 450kW/850Nm in the case of the GLE 63 S.
With the exception of the 63 examples which will feature a nine-speed MCT gearbox, all other GLEs will send their respective outputs through a 9G-Tronic automatic ‘box, with 4Matic all-wheel drive standard but likely to be an option on the GLE 300d.
Unlike the standard GLE though, both AMGs are only slated to arrive next year.
