Mercedes-Benz bridges fossil fuel and electric driving with GLE400e Coupe
The Mercedes-Benz GLE400e Coupe offers a transition for drivers moving toward electric vehicles, blending luxury with plug-in hybrid utility.
SINGAPORE – Mercedes-Benz once used a product placement in a movie about dinosaurs to launch a car.. Now, it is giving buyers a way to wean themselves off fossil fuels with the plug-in hybrid version of its GLE Coupe.. The movie was The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and the Mercedes-Benz model was the first M-Class, the precursor to the GLE-Class.. The American-made Mercedes-Benz was launched ahead of rivals, such as the BMW X5 (1999)
and Porsche Cayenne (2002).. The GLE400e arrives in Singapore at the tail end of this generation and only in Coupe form.. In both performance and price, the plug-in hybrid Coupe sits below the two 3-litre models – the GLE53 Coupe flagship and the non-Coupe GLE450 in the middle.. Mercedes-Benz is not about to replace the car with a ground-up new model.. Instead, a facelifted version has been announced globally and is likely to make its
way to Singapore in the coming months, so the current car remains relevant.. Tweaks in the upcoming update include having more LEDs to form the brand’s three-pointed star pattern in the headlights, a bolder front grille and a more digitised dashboard, which will have an equal share of supporters and detractors.. In pre-facelift form, the GLE400e Coupe is a handsome brute mixing sporty AMG styling cues like the exaggerated vents on the bumpers and flashy
22-inch wheels with low-profile tyres and traditional off-roader elements such as the side-steps – necessary for climbing on board.. The sloping roofline translates to reduced headroom.. When one is perched on the lofty leather seats, the ceiling feels a bit closer than expected of a car that stands over 1.7m tall.. At least the legroom for those in the back is ample enough for adults with plenty to spare.. The boot is deep, but the
floor is quite high as the space below is occupied by the plug-in hybrid battery.. Running counter to the car’s racier exterior are the touches in the cabin that hint at Mercedes’ off-roading heritage.. These include the two grab bars between the front seats for the passenger to hang on to when traversing rough terrain.. It is a cue that connects the car to its ancestor, the M-Class of Jurassic Park fame.. Away from transporting
scientists across the jungle to track dinosaurs as in the movie, the GLE Coupe’s digital interface addresses daily motoring needs well.. Other than the elegantly simple menu structure on the touchscreen infotainment system, there are ample tactile switches and a handily placed trackpad to ease accessibility.. Pairing a smartphone wirelessly to the system is effortless.. The steering wheel is perhaps the only ergonomic slip-up.. There are four bars of touch-sensitive buttons, which demand more than
a bit of finger dexterity to master.. Otherwise, the cabin is a lovely place to be in, with a palpable sense of premium quality and heft in the controls that lift the GLE above the junior Mercedes-Benz models.. For daily motoring, the GLE400e has enough electric driving range to avoid using even a drop of fossil fuel.. The car’s 25.3kWh battery gives it an on-paper electric range of 100km.. The car manages 84km before it
switches out of pure electric mode on its own during the three-day test drive.. The electric range should be enough for more than a day of driving in Singapore with plenty to spare.. Charging speed is quite respectable by the standards of plug-in hybrids.. A 30-minute coffee break while plugged into a direct current charger (60kW or faster) will add over 50km of operating range.. Otherwise, a lazy Sunday nap is enough to charge the
car up completely from zero using an alternating current charger rated at 11kW in under three hours.. When the battery charge is too low for full electric driving, the GLE400e works like a regular hybrid.. The electric motor chips in as and when to ease the engine’s load, while the battery gets charged during braking.. Switching automatically between electric-only and hybrid mode, the average fuel consumption rate on the test car from over 200km of
driving is 9.2 litres/100km.. Had the same distance been covered solely on petrol-hybrid power, the fuel consumption rate would likely be well above 12 litres/100km.. As with all plug-in hybrids, the driver’s discipline to charge up before starting the day’s drive is key to avoiding frequent trips to the petrol station.. The transition between engine and free-wheel coasting is seamless.. In hybrid mode, the engine fires up with impressive smoothness and immediacy.. Perhaps befitting its
position as a luxury cruiser, the cabin refinement is high.. Even when it is coasting and the engine switches off, the air-conditioning continues to cool the cabin, an important feature in Singapore’s climate.. Dynamically, the GLE400e can be hustled with some enthusiasm, but it feels at its best cruising on open roads.. When stretched, the 2-litre engine responds gamely, undoubtedly aided by the electric motor boosting torque in the background.. Under most conditions, the car
pulls keenly, which is impressive, considering the GLE400e’s weight.. At 2.7 tonnes, the Mercedes is not only heavier than the 3-litre Porsche Cayenne Coupe by over 500kg, but also heftier than the 2.5-tonne fully electric BMW iX.. The weight is the inevitable by-product of a plug-in hybrid packing two types of propulsion.. Even if the GLE400e driver is able to do all the driving around town in electric mode, the car will still be lugging
the engine, associated components and a sizeable 65 litres of petrol, for fear of being stranded without a charger.. This may be a price that those who are unsure about going electric will be willing to pay.. To sweeten the deal, Mercedes-Benz has priced the car below the 3-litre mild-hybrid GLE450 non-Coupe, rather than penalising buyers who want more style or for wanting to try out electric motoring, even if it is for less than
100km at a time.. Mercedes-Benz GLE400e AMG Line Coupe Price: $514,888 with certificate of entitlement (COE)Engine: 1,999cc, turbo, inline-4 plug-in hybrid with 115kW electric motors and 25.3kWh batteryTransmission: Nine-speed automatic with paddle shiftPower: 252hp (engine), 280kW (combined)Torque: 650Nm (combined) 0-100kmh: 6.1 secondsTop speed: 210kmhFuel consumption: 3.9 litres/100kmElectric range: 100kmAgent: Cycle & Carriage IndustriesRating: ★★★☆☆ Comparable considerations BMW iX (From $475,888 with COE) Conceived from the ground-up as an electric car, the BMW iX has up
to 602km of range and a usefully spacious cabin.. One thing to note about the car, as with other dual-motor electric vehicles, is the sizeable road tax bill that comes with the power output.. In the BMW’s case, it comes up to $5,888 a year.. The GLE400e’s road tax is based on its engine capacity and works out to $1,212.. Porsche Cayenne Coupe ($433,488 without COE) The Porsche Cayenne Coupe in combustion engine form is
very slightly shorter overall than the GLE Coupe, but is some 550kg lighter.. This translates to a nimbler drive.. Range Rover Velar 3.0 S ($326,888 without COE) The Range Rover Velar is smaller overall than the GLE400e Coupe, but is at least as stylish with just as much road presence.. The inline-6 cylinder engine is very smooth revving and the handling is more akin to a higher-riding car than a sport utility vehicle, making it
an enjoyable ride.
Mercedes-Benz GLE400e, hybrid SUV, electric driving range, luxury plug-in hybrid, automotive review