2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE in Tests Near Barcelona, Has Fun with Roundabouts

After the nomenclature change at the start of 2015 killed the ML-Class and changed its name to GLE-Class - presumably to better highlight its connection with the E-Class sedan - the mid-sized SUV from Mercedes-Benz also received a bunk-mate. That's the GLE Coupe we're talking about, and even though some argued it was a bit rushed onto the market and it would have been better to wait for the next GLE generation, Mercedes-Benz went ahead with it.

And sales would suggest it was the right decision. Somehow, with an interior design that wasn't particularly captivating even back in 2012 when it was introduced, the Mercedes-Benz SUVs soldier on and don't just wait for their retirement.

That moment, though, will come, and this 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE testing near Barcelona, Spain, is the embodiment of that certainty. We've seen the SUV before, but the last spotting came almost three months ago. We hoped that during all this time, Mercedes-Benz would have moved forward within its testing phases, but at least from a visual point of view, this prototype is identical to the last one seen.

That means discussing any design details should only be based on rumors and suppositions, and not on something we see in these images. And based on those, we know the next GLE will have a more rugged appearance, but without sacrificing any of the luxury elements. We've heard such promises before, though, so we don't expect them to have much connection with the real world.

It's actually on the inside that the GLE will receive the biggest change. The dashboard will copy the latest design Mercedes-Benz used on its larger models, which means double wide displays and a very clean central console. That alone should be enough to convince anybody interested in buying a GLE right now to wait, but apparently it isn't.

On the technical side, the GLE will use the new modular straight-six engines of diesel and gasoline variety alike, as well as the now mandatory hybrid version. The SUV will use the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission coupled to the proprietary 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system.

The next GLE-Class is expected to lose a bit of weight too, which means it should be more efficient and also more dynamic. However, don't expect any miracles - it's still an SUV, after all. For stuff like that, you'll have to resort to one of the AMG versions, with both GLE43 and GLE63 likely to feature - the latter adding to the list of models that use the wonderful 4.0-liter V8 engine. Sadly, there will be none of that roaring in the video below, but there's plenty of other reasons to watch it.