2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE Spied, Muddy Prototype Shows G-Class Design Influences

With an important part of the psychedelic wrap covered, the more rugged look of the next GLE becomes more obvious. It's no secret that the upcoming 2018 Mercedes-Benz G-Class will serve as a styling inspiration for future three-pointed star crossover. And the list of Gelandewagen influences seems to be led by the upright silhouette of the prototype.

Zooming in on the side view of the test car, we notice bold wheel arches, as well as a single crease, with both elements pointing towards a tougher appearance.

The light clusters of the prototype seem to pack a futuristic appearance, but the camo still prevents us from getting a good look at the production headlights and taillights present on the test vehicle.

As you'll notice in the piece of spy footage below, the dashboard of this tester was fully covered. Nevertheless, we'll remind you that we managed to catch a glimpse of the SUV's dash earlier this year. You can check out the resulting spyshots in the gallery to your right.

The second-gen GLE prototype we spied back then features the expected twin-screen layout (instrument cluster plus infotainment display), with the two displays being clearly separated.

No less than four air vents sit just below the central screen, with the white trim surrounding them raising questions. We can say the same about the massive handles placed on the center console and, since these seem to affect the ergonomics of the Comand infotainment controller, they could disappear en route to production.

While the current GLE is actually a reworked ML, the next incarnation of the model will ride on the automaker's MHA (Modular High Architecture), which will bring improvements in terms of both handling and comfort.

Now that the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has marked the automaker's inline-six return, the 2019 GLE will be one of the other models benefiting from the new engines.

The German engineers have made sustained efforts to reduce emissions and you should expect to see a 48V electric system offering mild-hybrid assistance, involving intelligent coasting and regenerative braking. Moving deeper into green motoring territory, we'll mention that the 2019 GLE should come with a pair of hybrid powertrains.

Go-fast aficionados will also have their needs catered to, with Affalterbach's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 taking the GLE past the 600 hp border.

Mercedes-Benz should introduce the second generation of the GLE next year and, as we've mentioned above, the SUV should land as a 2019 model.