The 2020 GLE is about to hit the US showrooms in late spring 2019, and let me tell to all SUV buyers out there, wait for it! This new generation is absolutely ground breaking when it comes to technology. No wonder Mercedes-Benz skipped the 2019 year model and jump straight into 2020. The new infotainment system called MBUX is stunning to look at and I wondered how I lived before without the self driving capabilities offered in these kind of vehicles. Follow me on a photo reportage of the GLE features.

2020 GLE350 Exterior

Interior

Engine

2020 GLE350 vs 2020 GLE450

2020 GLE driving impressions

Our 2020 GLE featured full air suspensions and the new 4-Cyl turbo engine, allowing us to get a good idea of these two very important option choices for GLE. First let's say that the 'dynamic' button in the center console really does make a difference in terms of driving dynamics.Mercedes is certainly the champion of air suspensions. Often hated for their high maintenance cost, they do offer more range than traditional metal springs. This latest iteration is the pinacle of the air suspension system, offering multiple ride heights and comfort level, at the press of a button. Press the sport setting and you will really feel the difference from the comfort settings. It is much tighter, firmer and willing to tackles twisty roads. The steering feel is good but with the big tires and high center of gravity are there to remind you the GLE is not feather sport car. Body roll is ok, but I bet it could use the help of some active body control system like the Mercedes E-Body control package. That option is supposed to eliminate body roll, and even tilt the car in the direction it is going, like a motorcycle. Our tester was geared more toward comfort and off-road capabilities. Considering how much capabilities are baked in the air suspension, I would recommend buyer to test the GLE with and without it before making a decision. The 350 4-Cyl engine is perfect for driving around town at reasonable pace. Should you need to move faster quicker, it can get a bit jerky and noisy. I am surprised Mercedes did not manage to completely insulate the cabin from the lame engine noise. The gearbox is sometime jerky when it is hunting for gears, trying to squeeze power from the four potter, but if you can control your gas input and keep it smooth, the power delivery is great and gas mileage is good. We average 18MPG around town, not bad for a vehicle this size. I do not see a real need getting the GLE450 6 cylinders unless you are an enthusiast or may be drive on steep incline often.

Amazing driving assist

Autopilot is the one thing everybody wants to have these days, and while Tesla seems to get all the press talking about their system, Mercedes-Benz is actually on top of their game as well. The S-Class has been a leader in radar cruise control and lane keep assist for many years, and now the lower E-Class range get similar systems for a lot less money. The assisted driving capabilities of the 2020 GLE are just amazing in their performance and ease of use. Engage the cruise control and you will jump right in adaptive cruise, meaning the car will keeps its distance from the vehicle right in front of you, while staying under the maximum speed you selected. You can increase or decrease the space between cars via a simple button on the steering. Nothing ground breaking just yet. But wait, a second or two and if you see a green steering wheel light coming on the dash, you are automatically in lane keep assist mode. If you want to keep driving with the cruise control as usual, you can, and the steering assistant will be hard to notice. The magic happens when you lift your hands from the steering, the car just keep driving and stay inside its lane. Click a turn signal and the car will switch lane! The best part is that you can still control the car as you would without the assistant. The steering feedback is really where the magic happens, just the right about of force to either let the car drive itself, or take control yourself. For the anecdote, I was really impressed when driving under drive assist in a two way street. A truck was unloading blocking my lane, the drive assist switched lane automatically and got back on the right lane after passing the truck... I could not believe it, it is that smart. I would not trust it with my life though, as the system stay active with little too much optimism. When the system realize it can't tell which way to go, the warning is very late, and you better have been watching and catching the car before it goes into the ditch. But that would only happen if you trust the system at high speed on road with poor markings. At low speed, in traffic or well marked roads, the drive assist is just fantastic and I could not pardon myself not to check that particular option box.

Heaven is in the details

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE350 - Original videos

We have taken a couple of cool videos of the GLE350, and also took the time to shoot long videos of the new MBUX menu system. They are pretty lengthy but will give you a good idea of the customization level offered by the system. A few days after shooting the video we discovered even more options... The word to learn here is 'menu jumping', you will do a lot of these, but only if you want to.

Walk around highlight - 30 sec.

Navigation Augmented Reality (AR) highlight - 30 sec

Dashboard - long video - 4 min

MBUX center screen - long video - 9 min

2020 Mercedes GLE350 - Walk around - long video - 4 min

conclusion

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE is reclaiming its top spot in the German luxury SUV segment. The previous generation was lagging behind, but the new MBUX infotainment is catapulting it ahead of the competition. All the S-Class goodies are now trickling down the E-Class, at a more affordable price and as usual with Mercedes-Benz, the once unachievable luxury of their flagship is now available to the mere mortal. The GLE just performed above my expectation in all department. It is not a sports car but it shine right where a Mercedes-Benz should, comfort, luxury, quality and advanced technologies. Just breathtaking!

don't forget to ask me your questions or post comments about the GLE350 in the comment box below, I'll do my best to answer them.