Mercedes-Benz has dropped not one, not two, but four refreshed SUV announcements in a single breath, and if you’re keeping score at home, that’s the GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS, and Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 family all getting the treatment. One hundred and forty years since Carl Benz invented the automobile, and Stuttgart is still finding ways to make us reach for our wallets.
The German OEM is executing a new generation-lite of sorts. This comprehensive facelift see Mercedes-Benz changing approximately 3,000 components, hoping punters don’t notice the bones are the same. But what bones they are. And the upgrades, particularly to the MB.OS operating system and the suspension wizardry, suggest this is less “freshening” and more “we really should have done this earlier.” The MBUX has come in for some scathing chat particularly online among owners. Who’d have thought MB owners were Interwebz-literate?
Above: Geely Starray and Which Driveline Is Best for You
#Mercedes #GLE #GLS #AMG #CarNews
Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel by SMASHING THE BUTTON ABOVE
ABOVE: 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE, GLE Coupe, GLS, and AMG GLE 53 exterior and interior images
The GLE: Modern Intelligence Meets Commanding Performance
The GLE has been the somewhat dull workhorse of Mercedes-Benz’s premium SUV lineup since it replaced the utterly dull M-Class in 2015. The new model keeps the formula but adds fresh design accents, improved powertrains, and enough technology to make your smartphone feel inadequate.
Two horizontally arranged star motifs in the headlamps create what Mercedes-Benz calls “a bold new visual signature.” It isn’t that bold, more slightly interesting. It is becoming more difficult to stand out on a road full of very interesting lighting arrays. The illuminated central star and contour lighting on the larger grille ensure you’re seen coming, for better or for worse. Inside, the MBUX Superscreen stretches across the cockpit as a single glass surface, housing three 12.3-inch displays. The passenger display is now standard, which means the front-seat occupant can finally stop squinting at your navigation, or, they could mind their own business.
The engine range has been revised. The V8-powered GLE 580 4MATIC now produces 395 kW (up from 380 kW) with 750 Nm of torque. The flat-plane crankshaft is new, replacing the previous cross-plane configuration, which should mean a more responsive throttle and that slightly unhinged V8 sound we all secretly love. NOTE: Chinese EVs have more power and torque at a smidge of the German sticker price.
The six-cylinder GLE 450 4MATIC gets an extra 12% torque, now at 560 Nm. And for the first time, the diesel dinosaurs (GLE 350d and GLE 450d) feature an electrically heated catalyst, bringing the exhaust system to optimal temperature faster.
The GLE 450e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid offers 106 kilometres of pure electric range according to WLTP. Whether that survives Australian summer air conditioning remains to be seen.
Perhaps the most impressive upgrade is the cloud-based (aka – requires subscription to continue long-term operation) damper control with AIRMATIC. Mercedes-Benz vehicles now communicate with each other via the cloud. Brilliant in theory but only works if owners eventually subscribe to keep OTAs ongoing. When one GLE hits a speed bump, it tells the Mercedes-Benz Cloud, which tells your GLE, which adjusts the damping before you even reach it. It’s car-to-car communication in service of your backside comfort. We live in the future.
The GLE Coupé: Powerful, Commanding, Intuitive, Expressive
The GLE Coupé gets the same subtle treatment as its less swoopy sibling, but with a 60mm shorter wheelbase and a more direct steering ratio for those who want their luxury SUV to feel a bit more like a sports car.
E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL remains one of the most intelligent suspension systems available. The control units analyse the driving situation 1,000 times per second. Over speed bumps, the GLE Coupé glides as if floating. The standard panoramic sliding sunroof now measures over one square metre of glass, flooding the interior with light.
New interior colours include “Beech Brown” combined with black, available in Nappa leather. Three new trim elements expand the options, including dark brown open-pore birch wood and brown open-pore walnut. The steering wheel returns to the “rocker-and-roller” control concept, a tactile experience that Mercedes-Benz clearly believes we’ve been missing. Or, which is more likely, are reading the room. Punters world wide are kicking back against the rampant digitalisation of cabins. Buttons and dials are beginning to return, one brand after another.
VW’s Golf was among the first of the world’s models to admit defeat after the horrific Golf MK8 infotainment debark.
The DIGITAL LIGHT with micro-LED technology produces a high-resolution lighting field 40% larger than before while consuming 50% less energy. The dynamic high beam ULTRA RANGE reaches 600 metres, roughly six football pitches, which is excessive but undeniably impressive.
The GLS: The S-Class of SUVs Redefines Comfort
Mercedes-Benz has been calling the GLS “the S-Class of SUVs” since 2015, and with this update, they’re doubling down on that lofty claim. The now-upright Mercedes-Benz star on the bonnet is an unmistakable S-Class touch. In China, it illuminates when stationary. In the USA, it illuminates while driving. In Europe, it simply exists as a chrome ornament.
The GLS is a seven-seater as standard, with three fully electrically adjustable seat rows. Even in the third row, occupants up to 1.94 metres tall can relax. The new Rear Comfort Package Plus includes two 11.6-inch displays and removable MBUX remote controls for rear passengers who want to adjust the temperature without bothering the driver.
The V8-powered GLS 580 4MATIC now produces 395 kW with 750 Nm across a wide rev range from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm. Two Lanchester balance shafts ensure smooth running. Again, electric cars will look at this and say, “meh!”
The standard DIGITAL LIGHT headlamps are 25% lighter than before and consume 50% less energy. Every GLS now comes with a panoramic roof as standard, ranking among the largest in any production SUV.
Mercedes-AMG GLE 53: Electrified Performance Meets Efficiency
The AMG variants round out the announcement. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ and GLE 53 HYBRID 4MATIC+ are available in both SUV and Coupé body styles, with either 48-volt mild hybrid technology or a 400-volt plug-in hybrid system.
The enhanced 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine now produces a respectable 330 kW (449 hp), with the integrated starter-generator adding another 17 kW for short-term boosting. The 48-volt version accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.
The plug-in hybrid model combines the six-cylinder with a modest 135 kW electric motor for a combined system output of 430 kW (585 hp) and 750 Nm. The 0-100 km/h sprint drops to 4.5 seconds. Pure electric driving is possible up to 140 km/h, with an electric range of 91-93 kilometres depending on body style. While the 4.5 seconds is impressive, the range is well below what is available at lower price points elsewhere.
For the first time, the new MANUFAKTUR special colour “hightech silver magno” is available as an AMG standard finish. The AMG Performance steering wheel returns to the haptic rocker and roller controls, fulfilling what Mercedes-AMG calls “a frequently expressed customer wish.”
What It All Means
Australian pricing has not been announced, but expect significant increases across the range. The GLE currently starts around $115,000 before on-road costs, and these updates won’t make it cheaper.
The market has begun to move and is picking up pace, and Australia is a particularly saturated marketplace. All legacy brands are on notice whether they acknowledge it or not. Badge snobbery will not protect them.
What Mercedes-Benz has done is an attempt to consolidate its position in the luxury SUV market. The MB.OS operating system brings AI-powered intelligence to the entire range. The cloud-based suspension technology is genuinely innovative. The V8 engines remain deliciously powerful despite the flat-plane crankshaft switch, yet cannot match the sheer brutality of the cheaper electric performance drivetrains.
The competition from Chinese manufacturers might be nibbling at the edges of the luxury market, but Mercedes-Benz is betting that technology, refinement, and 140 years of brand heritage still matter. Judging by the ever shortening queues at dealerships for the S-Class and GLC, they might be deluding themselves.
More Stories
- 2026 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: Champagne Flutes, Floating Stars, and the Most Expensive Grille in History
- What We Drive and Why: A GCB Ensemble
Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
Leave a Reply