Mercedes GLE test drive
Actually, the new hydropneumatic suspension used in the GLE was developed for off-road - it can simulate the swing in difficult situations. But the engineers could not resist and showed a very effective trick
Previously, this could only be seen at tuning shows: the new Mercedes GLE, thanks to the hydropneumatic suspension, dances to the music. Moreover, it precisely falls into the rhythm and does it very gracefully. In the future, special firmware may appear on the market that will allow the inclusion of "dance" in civilian modes. But the advanced suspension in the GLE was nevertheless created for another thing: on the off-road, the car will simulate swinging, jerkingly increasing the pressure in the hydraulic system of the struts and briefly increasing the pressure of the wheels on the supporting surface.
More than two decades later, many have forgotten that the appearance of the M-Class was accompanied by a flurry of criticism. Mostly European connoisseurs of the brand criticized ML for the poor quality of materials and poor assembly. But the car was created for the American market and at an American plant, and in the New World, the quality requirements were noticeably lower. The Americans, on the contrary, accepted the novelty with enthusiasm and purchased more than 43 thousand cars in 1998. The M-Class even received the North American Truck of the Year title just a year after its appearance.
It was possible to correct the main shortcomings with a large-scale restyling in 2001, and with the advent of the second generation (2005–2011), most of the quality claims have become a thing of the past. In 2015, Mercedes changed the index for the models of the entire crossover family. From now on, all crossovers start with the prefix GL, and the next letter means the class of the car. It is logical that the third generation ML received the GLE index, which means it belongs to the medium-sized E-class.
The fourth generation of the crossover was presented recently at the Paris Motor Show, and its production has already started on October 5 at a plant in the American city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In order to get acquainted with the cars in dynamics, I traveled to the city of San Antonio, Texas, where the global driving presentation of the new GLE was taking place.
The fourth generation of the crossover is based on the MHA (Modular High Architecture) platform with an increased share of ultra-high-strength steels, developed for large SUVs and is a modified version of the platform on which many of the brand's sedans are built. At first glance, the new GLE is even more compact than its predecessor, but on paper only the height has decreased - by 24 mm (1772 mm). Otherwise, the new GLE only added: 105 mm long (4924 mm), 12 mm wide (1947 mm). The drag coefficient is a record low in the class - 0,29.
After the "drying" procedure, the new GLE lost fat mass, but retained muscle mass. The overall approach to the design of the new crossover has become more intelligent. The coolness in the guise of the GLE has diminished, which is logical. By the way, Axel Hakes, the product line manager of Mercedes-Benz SUVs, at dinner, without much embarrassment, called the new GLE a machine for Soccer Mom (housewives).
It is not surprising: firstly, in the United States, unlike in Russia, a man in a family often chooses a compact car because he uses it to travel to work, and a roomy crossover is more suitable for a woman who takes care of children. Second, SUVs are also taking a bite in the market share of minivans, which housewives say don't look cool enough. However, an AMG package is available for the GLE, which adds aggression, or an AMG version - it not only looks aggressive, but also rides much more recklessly.
The design of the new GLE, with its distinctive C-pillar profile and the shape of the rear hemisphere, unmistakably reflects the M-Class family traits. If you look at the stern from the rear, you get the feeling that the GLE has lost a lot of weight "above the waist", but this effect applies only to the luggage compartment, which still added 135 liters (825 liters), and there was even more. By the way, thanks to the increased volume, an optional third row of seats is now available for the first time on the GLE.
The wheelbase has grown by 80 mm (up to 2995 mm), thanks to which it has become noticeably more comfortable in the second row: the distance between the rows of seats has been increased by 69 mm, the headroom has increased over the heads of the rear riders (+33 mm), an electric rear seat has appeared, which allows you to shift side seats of the sofa by 100 mm, change the inclination of the backrests and adjust the height of the head restraints.
The base chassis has springs (ground clearance up to 205 mm), the second level is Airmatic air suspension (ground clearance up to 260 mm), but the main feature of this GLE is the new E-Active Body Control hydropneumatic suspension, which consists of accumulators installed on each rack, and powerful servos that constantly adjust compression and rebound damping. The suspension is powered by a 48-volt mains and is capable of controlling each wheel individually, and most importantly, it can be done quickly enough.
In addition to cute pranks like dancing at the presentation, E-Active Body Control allows you to actively fight rolls, making it possible to completely abandon the anti-roll bars. The Curve Control system is responsible for this, which counteracts roll by tilting the body not outward, but inward, as a motorcyclist does. On or off bad roads, the system scans the surface at a distance of 15 m (Road Surface Scan) and levels the position of the body, compensating for any unevenness in advance.
The interior of the new GLE is a mixture of hi-tech and classic style. Mercedes manages to combine ultra-modern solutions with traditional materials such as high-quality leather or natural wood. Analog devices, alas, are finally a thing of the past: instead of them, the long, oversized (12,3-inch) media system monitor already familiar from the A-Class, which includes both the dashboard and the MBUX touchscreen display. It is enough to say “Hey, Mercedes” for the system to go into command standby mode.
By the way, you can control the multimedia system in as many as three ways: on the steering wheel, using touches and from a small touchpad on the center console. The performance is at a high level, although it was not without small lags. In terms of convenience, despite the presence of hotkeys around the touchpad, touchscreen control seems more convenient. True, it is far enough to reach for it.
The instrument cluster has four design options; in addition, you can order a head-up display, which has become larger and more contrasting, and in addition has learned to display a lot of useful information on the glass. Also, among the options, the Energizing Coach function has appeared - it can calm or cheer up the driver, depending on his condition, using the interior lighting, audio system and massage. To do this, the vehicle collects data from the fitness tracker.
The heated windshield does not have an annoying mesh for many, but uses a special conductive layer capable of heating the entire glass surface without "dead" zones. Other innovations include an automatic seat adjustment system for the driver's height. Comfort is a subjective concept, so with my height of 185 cm, the system almost guessed, although I still had to tune the seats and steering wheel, and drivers with smaller stature had to change the settings completely.
The navigation system both pleased and disappointed at the same time. I was impressed by the "augmented reality" function, which is able to draw navigator hints right over the image from the video camera. This is especially convenient when the system draws house numbers in a holiday village. However, the navigation itself irrationally uses the huge display. As a result, we have a small arrow and a thin stream of the current route, while 95% of the screen area is occupied by useless information like a green field or clouds that constantly flash before our eyes.
Acquaintance with the car on the move began with the GLE 450 version with a 3,0-liter in-line gasoline turbo six, which produces 367 liters. from. and 500 Nm. The EQ Boost starter generator works in tandem with it - it provides an additional 22 hp. from. and as much as 250 Nm. EQ Boost helps in the first seconds of acceleration, and also quickly starts the engine while driving. The passport acceleration time to 100 km / h is 5,7 seconds, which is impressive "on paper", but in life the sensations are somewhat more modest.
The settings allow you to vary the sharpness of the steering, the stiffness of the suspension and the response to the gas pedal both by preset modes and individually. Trying to get the maximum dose of comfort, I even got scared at first. Excessive emptiness in the near-zero zone forced us to constantly steer on the winding paths in the vicinity of San Antonio. In the end, the problem was solved by switching the steering settings to "sport" mode. But "sport" is contraindicated for the motor, unless you are going to participate in traffic light races: the revs stubbornly stand around 2000, which only adds to the nervousness.
I did not manage to find real off-road in Texas, and therefore expectations from the E-Active Body Control suspension turned out to be somewhat overestimated. In fact, a GLE with a conventional air suspension already provides a good level of comfort, therefore, comparing cars with and without a "super suspension", I would still recommend not overpaying for it, besides, the amount will be rather big (about 7 thousand euros). Perhaps the effect on the off-road will be more noticeable - although who are we kidding. Despite all the possibilities, few owners of the new GLE will poke themselves into impassable mud. However, in this case, the Russian buyer will not have a choice: E-ABC is absent from the list of options for our market.
But the diesel versions were liked more, and in fact they account for the maximum demand (60%). Changing from the petrol version to the GLE 400 d, despite the lower power (330 hp), but thanks to the high torque (700 Nm), you feel a tight and less nervous acceleration. Yes, 0,1 seconds slower, but much more confidence and enjoyment. The brakes are more adequate here, and what can we say about fuel consumption (7,0-7,5 per 100 km).
The most affordable will be the GLE 300 d with a four-cylinder turbo diesel with a volume of 2 liters (245 hp), a nine-speed "automatic" and four-wheel drive. Such a crossover can accelerate to 100 km / h in just 7,2 seconds, and the maximum speed is 225 km / h. The sprint shots feel like the 2-liter diesel is heavier than its 3-liter sibling. One can feel "shortness of breath", and the sound of the engine is not so noble. Otherwise, an excellent choice for those who do not want to overpay.
The GLE is now offered with three all-wheel drive transmission options: the four-cylinder versions will receive the old 4Matic system with permanent all-wheel drive and a symmetrical center differential, and all other modifications will receive a transmission with a multi-plate front wheel clutch. A full range multiplier is available when ordering the Offroad package, in which, by the way, the ground clearance can reach a maximum of 290 mm.
Russian dealers have already begun accepting orders for the new Mercedes GLE in fixed configurations at a price of RUB 4. for the version GLE 650 d 000MATIC up to 300 4 6 rubles. for the GLE 270 000MATIC Sport Plus. The first cars will appear in Russia in the first quarter of 450, and the four-cylinder version will only arrive in April. Subsequently, the new GLE will be assembled at the Russian plant of the Daimler concern, the launch of which is scheduled for 4. But that's a completely different story.
| A type | ||
| Crossover | Crossover | Crossover |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | ||
| 4924/1947/1772 | 4924/1947/1772 | 4924/1947/1772 |
| Wheelbase, mm | ||
| 2995 | 2995 | 2995 |
| Ground clearance, mm | ||
| 180 − 205 | 180 − 205 | 180 − 205 |
| Curb weight, kg | ||
| 2220 | 2165 | 2265 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | ||
| 3000 | 2910 | 3070 |
| engine's type | ||
| Inline, 6 cylinders, turbocharged | Inline, 4 cylinders, turbocharged | Inline, 6 cylinders, turbocharged |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | ||
| 2999 | 1950 | 2925 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | ||
| 367 / 5500−6100 | 245/4200 | 330 / 3600−4000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | ||
| 500 / 1600−4500 | 500 / 1600−2400 | 700 / 1200−3000 |
| Drive type, transmission | ||
| Full, 9АКП | Full, 9АКП | Full, 9АКП |
| Max. speed km / h | ||
| 250 | 225 | 240 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | ||
| 5,7 | 7,2 | 5,8 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | ||
| 9,4 | 6,4 | 7,5 |
| Price from, USD | ||
| 81 600 | 60 900 | Not announced |
