Mercedes-Benz has revealed a refreshed version of its GLE-Class SUV for the 2024 model year, and if you didn’t notice, we have a confession to make. We do this for a living, and we have trouble telling the pre-refresh model apart from the refreshed edition, too.
That’s OK, because the big changes are under the skin.
Allegedly, A New Look
The 2023 GLE has a horizontal bar of chrome dissecting its grille. In the 2024 model, that bar has segments. Air intakes flanking the grille also gain chrome accents, and the jewel-like lighting elements inside the headlights have been rearranged.
That concludes the changes, as near as we can tell.
Inside, updates include a new steering wheel with added touch sensors to control a few climate and entertainment functions, and chrome trim on the air vents.
The changes that matter are mechanical.
Plug-in Hybrid, AMG Models
The biggest news is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model, the GLE 400 e 4Matic. It combines a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor, making 381 horsepower together. Mercedes hasn’t disclosed an all-electric range.
Like the 2023 model, the 2024 GLE-Class will come with five powertrain choices. Most have not changed, but the turbocharged 6-cylinder engine in the GLE 450 4Matic has gained 14 horsepower, now making 375.
A new Off-Road Engineering Package available on the GLE 580 adds a skid plate, 1.2 inches of ground clearance, an air suspension, and an Off-Road drive mode that displays technical information like gradients and roll angle.
