- Mercedes’ GLE SUV has been spied testing again, this time with some important rear-end changes.
- In addition to a new grille and headlights, this prototype was fitted with star-shaped taillights like the ones on the E-Class.
- The fourth generation GLE was unveiled in 2018 and received new lights and grille for the 2024 model year.
Is it that time again? Mercedes already revised its GLE SUV for the 2024 model year, but it’s currently working on another refresh that brings some stylish details across from other recent Benz models.
We’ve already seen prototypes testing with camouflage on the front end obscuring their new headlights and grille, but those cars retained the current model’s tail section, including the slim taillights that were part of the 2024 facelift.
Related: Mercedes GLE Appears Primed To Get A Second Facelift
But new spy shots show the refreshed GLE equipped with its production rear lamps, which are far more distinctive. Merc’s design team has given the SUV the star-shaped rear LEDs already fitted to all-new models like the E-Class, ensuring that we’ll all be able to spot a GLE from a long way off, even in the dark.
Because this test car is still wearing a coat of camo over its hood and front bumper, we can’t be sure exactly what Mercedes has in store for the GLE’s face, but we’re expecting to see the headlights take a more swept-back form and for the grille to grow larger and come with a frame this time.
And if you’re wondering why Mercedes would bother updating the GLE so soon, the answer lies in what’s happening in Munich at the automaker’s arch-rival. BMW’s all-new X5 starts production in 2026 for the 2027 model year and in the absence of an all-new GLE to keep it honest, Mercedes needs to modernize the current car to prevent customers from defecting. Our spies tell us the facelifted GLE will be unveiled next year and go on sale in 2026.
The low and middle tiers of the engine lineup probably won’t change an awful lot from what’s available in the current model, which means a selection of four- and six-cylinder mild-hybrid engines. We also hope the 510 hp (380 kW/517 PS) 4.0-liter V8 that powers today’s GLE 580 also gets to fight another day, though it might not since Mercedes is moving away from V8s and replacing them with more powerful straight-sixes.
Mercedes has confirmed that the 2026 AMG GLE 53 PHEV, which goes on sale before this facelift drops, is switching from a 429 hp (320 kW / 435 PS) mild-hybrid six to a 536 hp (400 kW / 543 PS) full-hybrid 3.0-liter inline six, and we can expect PHEVs to play a bigger role in the GLE’s future as Mercedes scales back its EV ambitions.
