If you’ve been eying a Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe for your stable, but don’t want to make the big leap to the AMG versions, now you can. Mercedes-Benz quietly and recently launched a more affordable, non-AMG version of its BMW X6 competitor, the GLE 450 4MATIC just a few months ago. Previously, the second generation GLE Coupe was only available in GLE 53 and GLE 63 AMG form, meaning you had to fork over at least $93,000 to land one in your driveway.
But now, the GLE Coupe can be had for around $77,550, including Benz’s mandatory destination charge. Based on the latest fourth-generation of Mercedes’ midsize luxury crossover, also formerly known as the ML-Class, the GLE Coupe is essentially a standard GLE, but with part of its head chopped off. Both the GLE and GLE Coupe are direct competitors to BMW’s X5 and X6 luxury crossovers.
GLE Coupe Sales Increased After The Introduction Of The More Affordable GLE 450
Mercedes-Benz first debuted the GLE Coupe with the previous third-generation W166 GLE-Class in 2015. But it, too, was only available in high-performance GLE 450 4MATIC AMG and GLE 63 S forms. With the arrival of the fourth-generation W167, Mercedes briefly discontinued the Coupe before reintroducing it a couple years later. In the process, Benz also shifted the GLE Coupe lineup around, rebadging the entry-level AMG model as the GLE 53. The faster and pricier GLS 63 S remains unchanged.
Today, the GLE 450 joins the range as the third and entry-level model. Like the GLE 53, the GLE 450 gets Benz’s latest M256 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline inline-six with 48-volt mild-hybrid assist , but in a detuned state. It’s still no slouch, however, pumping out 375 horsepower. With its 9G-TRONIC 9-speed automatic, the 450 hustles to 60 MPH from a standstill in around 5.3 seconds. The 53 AMG does it in 4.9.
Power still gets sent to all four wheels via Benz’s signature 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. Suspending the GLE 450 Coupe, similar to its standard sibling, is four-corner independent suspension with a double wishbone arrangement up front and a multilink rear and electronically-controlled damping with driver-selectable modes.
Since the 450’s introduction in the fourth quarter of 2024, which also ushered in the model’s mid-cycle refresh, the nameplate saw an increase in sales by 12 percent compared to the same period in 2023. In 2024, Mercedes sold a total of 67,928 GLE models (both standard and coupe versions), compared to 62,606 in 2023, a 9% increase.
With the model just receiving its facelift, after having been around for roughly four years, the current W167 generation of GLE is likely to stick with us for another four years. Some of our esteemed spy photographers spotted some camouflaged test mules running around, indicating that Mercedes is currently researching and developing either a new model, or the next-generation variant.
Currently, the W167 is available in gas and gas-based plug-in hybrid forms. Diesels are available in markets abroad. The standard GLE range consists of the gas-only GLE 350, 450, 580, the 450e PHEV, and the two AMG versions. Only three trims exist for the GLE Coupe for the North American market.
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