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The GLE is now finishing out its fourth generation. The third was a rather busy one as well; GLE replaced the old M-class name, and the lineup expanded with the addition of a slicker-roofed Coupe model with a dash more style and a dash less utility. The longer GLS (née GL) is in its third extended generation. We recently drove several versions of both to judge how Mercedes engineers wield their access to the fountain of youth.

The Stars Align

To keep things looking fresh, the bumpers underwent minor plastic surgery, and that work is complemented by new grilles filled with rows of tiny three-pointed stars; the revised detailing is accompanied by new headlights and taillights, also containing three-pointed stars. Both get a pair of star elements in their headlights, with the GLE’s arranged horizontally and the GLS’s stacked vertically. At the back, two stars in each taillight means it's a GLE, three tells you it’s the larger GLS. Are you confused yet? Perfect. There’ll be an exam.

Interior changes are few but noticeable. Perhaps for symmetry, the previous 12.3-inch driver and center displays are now joined by a passenger touchscreen of the same size. It’s still not entirely clear what the purpose of such an extra interface is, especially since your co-driver likely has a smartphone or tablet along for the ride, but the trio of screens (dubbed Superscreen) is nevertheless standard on both the GLE and GLS for 2027. You can now summon an AI assistant whose visual representation hangs out in the corner of the center screen in one of three blob-like manifestations.

Mercedes heard customer complaints about its touch-heavy steering-wheel controls, or at least some of them, as the volume control has been replaced by a roller and the adaptive cruise control gets a physical rocker. The directional pad on the right spoke is still of the capacitive-touch variety. Oh, and the HVAC vents have been reshaped; thankfully, you can still control them by hand.

Mercedes-Benz GLE500e

A new electrical architecture underpins everything and aligns both models with the S-class’s hardware, allowing for over-the-air updates and piling on more apps and systems in general. The sensors necessary for Mercedes’s new Hands-Free Highway Assist and City Pro, which provides intervention-free point-to-point driving in all settings, are present; those features will be enabled via software update at some point in the future.

Compelling Power and Smoothness

Each lineup offers powertrain choice, and that’s before you get to the AMG variants. We’ll run through the many options from least to most powerful.

The existing turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, again available only in the GLE350, has been massaged. Now called the M254 Evo, it gains an electric compressor that pitches in while the mechanical turbocharger is still building boost. We didn’t get to drive that version, but the result should be quicker and smoother torque delivery, although its max output figures are unchanged. One configuration has been jettisoned—the previously available rear-wheel-drive GLE350 is gone, meaning the two-row’s lineup is now AWD-only, matching the GLS.

Next up the ladder is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six found in the GLE450 Coupe and SUV, as well as the GLS450. A handful of changes to that engine, including a stronger electric compressor and updates to breathing and combustion, help increase torque by 44 pound-feet for a new total of 413.

The plug-in hybrid option, again reserved for the GLE SUV, gets a bigger engine and a more powerful electric motor. The GLE500e replaces the previous 450e, subbing in an overhauled 3.0-liter six for the old 2.0-liter four. Max output is now 429 horsepower and 502 pound-feet, respective increases of 48 and 23. A more powerful e-motor means you shouldn’t have to call up the gas engine as often.

At the top sits the GLE580 SUV and GLS580, both of which inherit their new 4.0-liter twin-turbo M177 Evo V-8 from the S-class. Benz went to a lot of trouble to switch to a flat-plane crankshaft and then did a lot of work to mask the fact that it had done so, adding counterweighted balance shafts to cancel out the vibrations inherent to that layout. They even messed with timing on the exhaust camshaft, with specific degrees of offset for each cylinder bank, to prevent the engine from sounding like a Ferrari. The upshots of the flat-plane design are improved efficiency and reduced emissions (things that still matter in other countries), along with an output bump to 530 horses (up 20) and 553 pound-feet (up 15). As before, all of the non-plug-ins have an integrated starter-generator.

More Feels Just Right

With all of the upgraded powertrains, you notice how little you, er, notice. In their more sedate configurations, Mercedes powertrains don’t exactly telegraph gear changes or convey noticeable spurts of turbo boost, so this is simply another level of refinement layered atop the refinement that’s already there. You have to pay very close attention to discern the initial shove courtesy of the starter-generator from the work of the electric compressor or the mechanical boost addition that follows. The supersmooth torque flow is barely interrupted by the nine-speed transmission’s shifts, which are heard more than felt.

That true sense of smoothness extends to the reworked chassis. Mercedes again offers three suspension setups per model, all of which have been retuned; the GLE comes standard with steel springs and adaptive dampers, while both a traditional air spring and an active air suspension are both available. The GLS has the normal air suspension standard, with the upgraded electrohydraulic E-Active Body Control an option.

Both air suspensions now benefit from cloud-based predictive damping, which tells the vehicle a pavement disturbance is coming up so it can prepare the dampers for it. That’s in addition to the existing camera-based predictive modulation. As all of our drives occurred on back roads, we didn’t really get to test the pothole and bump prediction. The active system feels as unnatural as ever, keeping these big SUVs from feeling tippy and actually leaning them into corners like a motorcycle. The effect is more appreciated on large-radius curves; it works perfectly in tight turns, but our brain can only handle so much willful discarding of physics. The steering feels less indirect and seems to have had some of the syrup tuned out of it, which we appreciate.

Mercedes notes that the GLE Coupe gets stiffer suspension tuning than it had previously and quicker steering than its SUV counterpart. While those changes are sometimes palpable, they’re less obvious than the Coupe’s relative lack of cargo space and higher asking price. That’s a preference thing, of course, but we prefer the logical choice here over the emotional one.

Improvements Have a Price Tag

With the removal of the rear-drive 350 model, the GLE is now more expensive by default. Even the GLE350 4Matic costs a few thousand more than last year, now coming in at $69,850. It’s $76,250 for the GLE450 SUV and $82,750 if you choose the Coupe. The biggest change is seen on the plug-in, which starts at $82,450, its $8850 increase partly attributed to the bigger engine. It's $97,750 for the top Benz GLE, the 580 SUV. If you want the GLS’s third row, offered in conjunction with either a second-row bench or captain’s chairs, pricing starts at $95,500 for the GLS450 and $122,500 for the 580.

Bringing both models up to current S-class spec wasn’t cheap, but it pays dividends in comfort and luxury. If Mercedes can make this big of a leap toward the end of a generation, imagine what the next-gen GLE and GLS models will bring.

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Specifications

Specifications

2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback and wagon

PRICE
Base: GLE350 4Matic, $69,850; GLE450 4Matic, $76,250; GLE500e 4Matic, $82,450; GLE450 4Matic Coupe, $82,750; GLE580 4Matic, $97,750

POWERTRAINS
turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 255 hp, 295 lb-ft; turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 375 hp, 413 lb-ft; turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 322 hp, 395 lb-ft + AC motor, 181 hp, 354 lb-ft (combined output: 429 hp, 502 lb-ft; 25.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; peak charge rate, AC/DC: 9.6/60 kW); twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 530 hp, 553 lb-ft
Transmission: 9-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 115.6–117.9 in
Length: 193.9–194.5 in
Width: 79.5 in
Height: 68.1–71.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 57–58/50–56 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 64–75/32–33 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900–6000 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.2–6.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.9–15.0 sec
Top Speed: 130 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 18–23/15–21/21–26 mpg
GLE500e Combined Gasoline + Electricity: 60 MPGe
GLE500e EV Range: 52 mi

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2027 Mercedes-Benz GLS
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6- or 7-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICE
Base: GLS450 4Matic, $95,500; GLS580 4Matic, $122,500

ENGINES
turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter inline-6, 375 hp, 413 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 530 hp, 553 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 123.4 in
Length: 205.4–205.6 in
Width: 79.0 in
Height: 71.8–72.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 59/59/39 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 85/43/17 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 5700–5850 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.5–5.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.5–13.7 sec
Top Speed: 130 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16–21/14–19/20–24 mpg

Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.