Mercedes GLE Plug-in Hybrid Review

GLE: £67,260 - £75,060, GLE Coupe: £73,915

Electrifying.com score

7/10

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If you’re a company car driver or have the right lifestyle, the GLE hybrid is an excellent option – it’s quiet, plush and very posh.


  • Battery size: 31.2kWh
  • Company car tax: 7%
  • Emissions: 22g/km
  • Range: 66 miles (WLTP claimed)
  • Fuel economy: 30.4 MPG

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  • Battery size: 31.2kWh
  • Company car tax: 7%
  • Emissions: 22g/km
  • Range: 66 miles (WLTP claimed)
  • Fuel economy: 30.4 MPG
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC front action shot, UK registered, mountains in background
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC rear action shot, UK registered, mountains in background
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC front action shot, UK registered, woodland road
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC rear action shot, UK registered, driving on dirt track
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC side on shot, UK registered, mountains in background, gloomy weather
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE350de4MATIC boot / luggage area, seats folded

Tom Says

“Up to 61-miles of electric-only running from an SUV that also has a diesel engine? The GLE 350de seems like a massive contradiction. But it has a battery the same size as some city-car pure electrics. Genius, or madness?”

Ginny Says

“The idea of mixing a diesel with an electric motor seems crazy, but I can see why it could make sense and add to efficiency.  But you'd need to be doing a lot of long journeys to justify it over a pure electric.”

It’s not cheap but the savings could be huge for company car drivers

  • Price:£31,585 - £42,900
  • Full charge cost (approx. – based on home charging):£9.00
  • Company car tax:7% (2021-2022)
  • Insurance group:23E-26E
  • Warranty:3 years, battery 8 years/100k miles

Pricing

The regular 350de plug-in hybrid SUV comes in three very well specified trim levels with prices kicking off at £67,260 for the AMG Line trim. That may sound quite a lot but it’s on par with its nearest rivals like the BMW X5 xDrive 45e and Volvo XC90 Recharge, and you do get a lot of kit as standard. AMG Line gets 20-inch wheels, LED headlights, two 12.3-inch screens, 64-colour ambient lighting, Nappa leather seats, wireless phone charging and more. It’s all you really need but if you do crave some extra luxuries, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus will suit – Premium gets augmented reality sat-nav, a 360-degree parking camera and wheels up to 22-inch in size, while Premium Plus features a panoramic sunroof, air suspension and a top-end Burmester stereo. It’s worth noting, though, the GLE 350de Coupe only comes in AMG Line Premium Plus trim, but no matter which bodystyle or trim you choose, Mercedes throws in two charging cables – a three-pin and a Type 2 – which isn’t always a given with plug-in hybrids.

Running costs

According to Mercedes’ figures, the GLE returns between 313 and 403mpg which is frankly impossible to achieve. We managed around 100mpg on a short 30-mile commute which was completed on electric power alone, while a longer journey which saw a mixture of diesel and electric power used returned around 70mpg, which is very good indeed. Once the battery pack is depleted of electricity and the diesel engine has to solely power the car, around 40mpg is normal. 

The GLE 350de could be a real boon for company car drivers because of how much CO2 it coughs out. At 29g/km it’s amazingly low (by comparison, the smaller Range Rover Velar P400e PHEV emits 49g/km) and because its has a claimed 66-mile electric range, the big Benz falls into the 7% BiK tax bracket – that’s lower than Mercedes’ own, smaller GLC 300e and 300de plug-in hybrid models. The price difference between the entry-level diesel GLE and the plug-in hybrid is under £3,500 which is very reasonable – some manufacturers, like BMW, charge a bigger premium for the hybrid model.

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