Starting at $69,500, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e 4Matic SUV hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) doesn’t skimp on what makes its gas-powered siblings popular. It strikes an ideal balance between performance and fuel economy, sports a well-appointed and quiet interior, and packs innovative infotainment systems. We had some connection troubles with Apple CarPlay in testing, but the vehicle is still a superb pick for both short commutes and longer-distance trips, earning it our Editors’ Choice award.Price and Options: The Only GLE With Plug-In ChargingAlthough the 450e 4Matic is the sole model in the GLE lineup with plug-in charging, the rest use various hybrid technologies. It sits toward the lower end of the lineup in terms of price, with the 350 4Matic SUV coming in at $62,650 and the AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic+ starting at $127,700.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
It costs slightly less than the competing Volvo XC90 Recharge (starting at $71,900). Neither is directly eligible for the federal EV tax credit, though a Mercedes-Benz representative says dealerships are currently passing commercial tax credits of $7,500 to customers through leases. If you want to spend less, check out our roundup of PHEVs under $40,000.
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Standard exterior features for the 450e 4Matic include 19-inch wheels, aluminum roof rails, LED headlights and taillights, power-folding side mirrors, a power liftgate, and a power tilt/sliding sunroof. Standard interior features include ambient lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control, memory settings for the driver seat, steering wheel, and side mirrors, powered and heated front seats, and synthetic leather upholstery.
You also get tech amenities such as a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, a 12.3-inch infotainment touch screen, Bluetooth, navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and wireless smartphone charging. As for standard driver assists, the vehicle offers automated parallel parking, blind-spot assist, drowsy-driver warning, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and a surround-view camera.My test vehicle has almost $20,000 in options, including the Pinnacle Trim package, which adds a 13-speaker Burmester surround-sound audio system, augmented video for navigation, a front seat massage function, heated and cooled front cupholders, a head-up display (HUD), an intelligent LED system, Mercedes logo projectors for the front doors, and ventilated front seats. Meanwhile, the $3,150 AMG Line Exterior package adds AMG wheels, a Star Pattern grille with a three-dimensional Mercedes-Benz logo, and wheel arches that match my vehicle’s Alpine Grey paint, itself a $1,750 option. With a $1,150 destination and delivery charge, my test vehicle comes in at a final sticker price of $90,330. A total of nine packages are available, so options for your build might differ from mine.Design: As Elegant as EverMercedes-Benz has restyled the entire GLE SUV lineup for the 2024 model year. Updates include a double-creased hood and a front grille with an intersecting chrome accent line. Two gaping openings on the bottom edges of the front end channel air to aid with aerodynamics and mimic the contour of the distinctive LED headlamps.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
The facelift continues inside with a subtle chrome finish on the center and side air vents and piano-black lacquer trim. The Bahia Brown leather upholstery, a $1,620 option, and the natural-grain walnut trim, a $160 add-on, make for one of the most beautiful interiors I’ve seen in any luxury vehicle; the combination looks especially stunning on the center console.With 40.9 inches of rear seat legroom, the GLE 450e 4Matic is one of the most spacious in the segment for passengers. It also offers plenty of cargo space, 31.5 and 74.9 cubic feet, respectively, with the rear seat in place and folded. Overall, the interior is more spacious and luxurious than that of the Volvo XC90 Recharge.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
Performance: Impressively Smooth The non-plug-in GLE 450 4Matic comes with a turbocharged, 3.0-liter, 6-cylinder engine with 375 horsepower (hp) and 369lb-ft of torque, but the 450e 4Matic offers more power overall. Its combination of a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and a 23.3kWh electric motor produces 381 horsepower and 479lb-ft of torque. The 0-60mph acceleration time of 5.8 seconds is quite quick for a vehicle that weighs 5,754 pounds. But with 455 horsepower (hp) and 523lb-ft of torque, the Volvo XC90 Recharge goes from 0-60mph in just 5.0 seconds. The all-electric BMW iX xDrive50 SUV (starting at $87,250) provides 516hp and rockets from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds, for comparison.Overall, the vehicle is a pleasure to drive since it’s relatively fast, extremely quiet and comfortable, and feels supremely stable in most situations. When I pushed it around corners and on twisty roads, however, it felt less planted, likely due to the extra mass of the battery and plug-in hybrid components.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
The GLE 450e gets a specially engineered version of Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that can send anywhere from 0% to 100% of engine torque to either the front or rear axle and uses a multi-disc clutch to alter torque distribution based on the driving conditions. The 4-wheel independent suspension’s selective damping automatically adjusts the shock absorbers individually based on the road surface for an incredibly smooth ride. The Volvo XC90 also offers AWD.A toggle switch on the center console lets you dial in one of five preset performance modes—Hybrid, Electric, Battery Hold, Sport, or Off-Road. An additional Individual mode lets you configure settings piecemeal. You can adjust the regenerative braking feel via steering wheel paddles, though the highest setting is very aggressive. In other words, when you lift off the throttle, the vehicle slows quickly, similar to a golf cart.Battery and Charging: Useful All-Electric RangeOne of the benefits of plug-in hybrids is that they offer an all-electric mode for shorter trips, around 48 miles in the GLE 450e’s case. I found this estimate to be quite accurate in testing, even when I didn’t go light on the throttle. When you need to go further, the vehicle’s gasoline engine kicks in seamlessly. The EPA-rated fuel economy is 58 MPGe combined for the electric mode and 24 MPG combined for the gas mode. For comparison, the Volvo XC90 Recharge has a lower all-electric range of 35 miles, the same MPGe, and a slightly better rating of 27 MPG on gas power. Meanwhile, the fully electric Genesis GV70 Electrified SUV (starting at $66,450) can take you 236 miles per charge.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
The GLE 450e stands out from competitors since its Combined Charging System (CCS) port works with both Level 3 DC and Level 2 chargers; most PHEVs, including the Volvo XC90 Recharge, support only the latter. According to Mercedes-Benz, a Level 3 charger operating at the GLE 450e’s maximum rate of 60kW can take the battery from 20% to 80% in 20 minutes. A Level 2 home charger working at 11kW can recharge the battery from 10% to 100% in a little less than 3 hours. I didn’t use a fast charger in testing but found that a 7.4kW Level 2 charger fully recharged the battery from empty in around 3.5 hours. Keep in mind that the gas engine and regenerative braking system provide incremental charging.Infotainment: Innovative, But Some Connection IssuesThe GLE 450e’s infotainment system differs from that of Mercedes-Benz EVs I’ve tested, including the EQE Sedan and EQE SUV. Instead of a vertical 12.8-inch screen, the GLE 450e sports two 12.3-inch displays side-by-side: a touch screen handles infotainment, while a non-touch screen shows the instrument cluster. But the system still uses Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment software with the Zero Layer UI. It relies on artificial intelligence to adapt to the driver’s preferences, thus making it easier to access and control the vehicle’s voluminous features. As with other vehicles from the company, my biggest complaint is that I have to take my eyes off the road to locate and press the tiny Apple CarPlay icon.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
I also encountered a CarPlay issue in which the system couldn’t choose between a wireless Bluetooth and a wired USB connection. A message reading, “Apple CarPlay could not be started. Your device has been connected as a Bluetooth phone,” often appeared on the screen. Other vehicles from Mercedes-Benz have also had this issue, though I haven’t encountered it on cars from other manufacturers. When I reached out to Mercedes about the issue on the EQE 350+ SUV, a representative responded, “We’ve flagged this with the team that handles connectivity.” It’s concerning that the same issue persists across models.Safety: Advanced Features Cost MoreThe GLE 450e includes just the basic driver assists, as mentioned. Meanwhile, the Volvo XC90 Recharge goes beyond the bare minimum with adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and lane-keep assists—all options for the GLE 450e that I expect to be standard for a vehicle in this price segment.
(Credit: Doug Newcomb)
To get the most innovative active safety tech, you need to pay for the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package, which adds Evasive Steering Assist (which helps you avoid objects in the road) and Active Emergency Stop Assist (the vehicle slows and stops if it detects that the driver isn’t in control, such as during a medical emergency). That package also includes Route-Based Speed Adaptation, which uses the vehicle’s camera, radar information, and map data to anticipate curves, intersections, and hills on a route to adjust speed when adaptive cruise control is active. Otherwise, the augmented reality view that’s part of the Pinnacle Trim package overlays arrows and other helpful graphics on the navigation map to help guide you, while the Transparent Hood feature stitches together exterior camera views to show what’s underneath the front of the vehicle on the infotainment display at speeds of up to 5 mph.Verdict: A Plug-In Hybrid Worth the SplurgeFor US car buyers who are still reluctant to go all in on EVs, plug-in hybrids like the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e have loads of appeal. Highlights include a workable all-electric range of 48 miles, a classy interior and exterior design, and powerful performance. And crucially, it’s the only PHEV we’ve tested that supports Level 3 fast charging. We experienced some CarPlay connection issues in testing and wish the SUV included more standard safety features, though those aren’t major detractors. As such, the GLE 450e earns our Editors’ Choice award for plug-in hybrids—but don’t ignore similarly priced EVs like the Genesis Electrified GV70 if you’re ready to fully embrace a gas-free future.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e 4Matic
Pros
Excellent electric-only range of 48 miles
Supports Level 3 DC fast charging
Quick performance for its size
Sharp exterior design
Gorgeous interior with plenty of room
Convenient infotainment system
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The Bottom Line
The Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e 4Matic plug-in hybrid SUV justifies its luxury price with a practical electric-only range, a striking and spacious interior, and impressive performance.
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