Mercedes GLE Coupe review

Owning the Mercedes GLE Coupe is a bit like owning a fountain pen. There are cheaper and more practical pens available, but you’re happy to go for the one that helps you stand out from the crowd, even if it’s more awkward and costs more

That said, the coupe SUV contingent is becoming quite a crowd itself these days – the GLE Coupe has the Audi Q8, BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne Coupe to try and tempt buyers away from. 

You wouldn’t confuse it for these alternatives, mind. The front is similar to the standard GLE with its distinct grille with horizontal slats and large Mercedes badge, but the Coupe’s thinner headlights, swooping roofline, wider stance and shorter length between its wheels set it apart. 

Inside, things haven’t changed as much, although the GLE’s interior is lovely to look at regardless. You’re faced by a huge wall of glass housing two screens, while ambient lighting and lashings of leather surfaces and chrome trim helps create a classy look and feel, even if a Q8’s dashboard feels slightly sturdier. 

Mercedes’ infotainment system is visually stunning and easy to navigate via touch, voice or using a touchpad and menu shortcut buttons between the front seats. Adding a destination on the sat-nav is simple, and so too is adding waypoints, although you’ll ultimately prefer using the navigation apps on your smartphone via the GLE Coupe’s standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Mercedes GLE Coupe requires giving up a bit of the GLE’s outright space and practicality, and you’ll need to like the looks, but it’s a very good large SUV nonetheless

The driver gets a hugely adjustable driving position and two tall adults in the front seats won’t have any complaints about space. In the back, there’s very good knee room for a couple more adults, although those over six-foot will find their head brushing the ceiling – the price you pay for those sleeker looks over the standard GLE. The Coupe’s boot, though, is slightly larger, although also shallower in shape, so less practical with it. 

Eventually, there will be five different engines to choose from. The range starts with a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid, which with its 62-mile EV range and low CO2 emissions is perfect for company car buyers or those who drive mainly in town. 

Most, though, will be better off with one of the two six-cylinder diesels, both of which are extremely strong yet impressively smooth and quiet. At the top of the range will sit two petrol performance models by AMG – the six-cylinder 53 and V8 63 – which we’ll review separately. 

The GLE Coupe is large car and feels it in town, especially given its sloping rear roofline and thick rear pillars can get in the way when parking. Still, its steering is light at low speeds and a host of sensors and cameras bring confidence and standard air suspension does a decent job of keeping bumps to a minimum. 

On country roads, the GLE Coupe’s wider stance helps it feel sharper and more upright through corners than the standard GLE, although never as agile as a Porsche Cayenne Coupe, even in its most aggressive driving modes. It does excel on the motorway, though, where it’s extremely planted, quiet and comfortable.

The Mercedes GLE Coupe is good to drive, then, comfortable, full of great tech and has a stunning interior. You’ll just need to be taken by its looks and accept that they mean it has less rear space and a more awkward boot than the car on which it’s based.

Why not head over to our Mercedes deal pages to make sure you’re getting the very best prices.