Last month Mercedes-Benz launched a brand-new GLE,
which has been designed from the ground up and replacea the previous iteration,
which was nothing more than a facelifted ML with a new moniker. Development of the brand’s BMW
X5, Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7 rival continues as more versions are
expected.
One of them is a plug-in hybrid, which AutoNews says
will arrive in the second half of 2019, with an electric range of 100 km. “We are now in the generation
where we’re switching over from our 30 km hybrids to 50 km”,
said the chief of Daimler research and Mercedes-Benz development, Ola
Kallenius. “The GLE will be the first car with a 100 km range on a
plug-in hybrid in the WLTP cycle”, he added.
We’re less than a year away from seeing the new GLE
plug-in hybrid, but Kallenius was not eager to disclose anything about the
powertrain and simply stated “we did not say that, but you shall see soon” when
asked whether the ICE would be a diesel.
The 2020 GLE PHEV is one of the cars that will help
Daimler meet the fleet emissions targets. It’s part of the German automaker’s
plan of electrifying every car in their lineup, from the A-Class to the
S-Class, with the offering including mild-hybrids, PHEVs and battery-electric
models.
