The month is January, the year is 1997. The automotive landscape is vastly different than what we know it to be today. Sedans and sport coupe models are selling by the dozens while trucks are rough, unrefined, utilitarian vehicles that guzzle gas and are meant to be used on farms.
As February rolls in rumors about a new model from Mercedes-Benz start to pop up in various circles more and more often and on 19 February 1997, they are confirmed by the company itself by introducing the Mercedes-Benz M-Class or ML as it would also end up being known.
The ML Was Born
The end result of a 5-year research and development effort, the new car was a trailblazer in every way, showing the world that luxury and utility can coexist on the same car.
Everything changed from that point onwards, with 99 percent of the car makers today selling at least one car that resembles an SUV. This includes companies like Lamborghini or Rolls-Royce, who you wouldn’t ever have pegged to be capable of bringing such models out.
And yet, here we are.
Looking at the sales charts for cars around the world, you’ll realize this is now the mainstream and sedans and Coupes are becoming niches in their own way. Up to 70 percent of the cars sold today in certain markets are SUVs or crossovers of various sorts and a lot of their success today goes back to the original ML.
The Grandson Of The M-Class – The GLE
Last year, the new Mercedes-Benz GLE went on sale worldwide and you might be wondering what that name has to do with the 1997 body-on frame SUV. Well, by all accounts and purposes, even though the name might not suggest it, the GLE is the distant grandson of the original M-Class which was later renamed ML, MLE and now arrived at GLE.
The new GLE stays true to the recipe that was written in stone by its forefather and it is one of the best cars in its segment today.
It also comes with a lot of new technology on board and a brand-new platform, which allows it to bring forward some really interesting changes under the hood as well. It has grown in size considerably, being 80 mm longer than its predecessor, all of that translating into more room inside.
As a matter of fact, you can now get 7 seats inside the GLE, something that was unavailable on the previous generation GLE for some reason.
The Exterior Design
Looking at the Mercedes-Benz GLE you get a sense of power and the car definitely has a lot of presence. It feels massive and big and our tester’s 21” wheels also helped out in that department.
As a matter of fact, looking at the GLE you get the feeling it’s considerably bigger than the BMW X5, but if you get a ruler our you’ll notice the differences are very slim. Albeit in favor of the Mercedes-Benz. It’s all down to the design then and the GLE follows the design trends set by other cars in the range of the Stuttgart-based manufacturer today.
Up front you’ll notice the same headlight design you’ll find on newer Mercedes-Benz models out there. It feels vaguely familiar and reminds me both of the new Mercedes-Benz CLS and the new A-Class. There are two LED stripes in the headlights and a massive center grille dominated by the silver arrows badge.
Our tester also came with the AMG package which brings wider and bigger air intakes on the front bumper. It also comes with new wheel designs (like our turbine-style wheels here) and a new design round the back for the bumper.
In my book, the AMG package is a must on the new GLE as it truly gives it a bit of a meaner demeanor which is needed on a car this big. I’d also go for at least 20” wheels as the massive wheel arches will look rather peculiar with the standard 18” wheels fitted on.
The massive wheel arches and the side steps create an interesting mix which adds even more grunt to the overall feel of the car. Those steps will get in the way though unless you use them.
You see, this is a tall car and getting in and out demands a rather long step, something not everyone’s in possession of. Therefore, if your car is dirty, getting in and out of it without a long set of legs and without using the step will instantly translate into ruined trousers so you might want to be careful there.
A New Interior Design
Once inside though, you can revel in the new interior design Mercedes-Benz put together for the GLE-Class and it feels like a major upgrade compared to its predecessor. I think it’s the best in the segment right now. The build quality is just what the doctor ordered and everywhere you look and touch feels built to last.
The materials are top notch, especially the leather on those AMG seats which were also extremely comfortable and welcoming. The open-pore wood also felt up to the task of decorating such a massive and luxurious interior.
The center console gets a special shoutout as it felt as if you’d need a bulldozer to get it to flinch. You could basically rock the entire car just by pulling hard enough on the handles on both sides and you wouldn’t hear a squeak.
Center console aside, the interior is dominated by the two huge screens sitting atop the dashboard which completely change the way you perceive this car from behind the wheel. Compared to the outgoing model, this is a much better implementation and, this time round, they fit in the general theme of the car, with rectangular air vents to match for a change, unlike on other Mercedes-Benz cars.
What I mean by that is that whereas on cars like the S-Class or even the A-Class the overall cabin design is dominated by round and fluid shapes, everything is ruined by a rectangular, huge screen thrown right on top of everything. It just doesn’t fit right.
On the new GLE that’s not the case. Everything just works and I think it’s the best design in its segment. I also like the seat controls on the doors, making it easier to operate as well as the wider interior lighting color array and the Burmeister speaker grilles. The main attraction here though is the new MBUX infotainment system and the host of technologies it brings to the table.
Mercedes-Benz obviously invested a lot in it because, thanks to this new trend of using massive screens inside cars, it can scale it to every single car it has in its range today. It’s not a bad thing, not at all, as most car makers have the same approach.
It’s actually quite baffling how you can get the same kind of tech and features in a car like the A-Class and in one at the other end of the spectrum, like the GLE.
Revised MBUX Infotainment
So, what does the new MBUX bring to the table? Well, for starters, impressive screens. The resolution on them is pretty amazing and, even though the surface is glossy and I was afraid that might get in the way of reading the information shown on the screens, that wasn’t the case.
The graphics are pretty good too and you get so many ways to customize your screens it will literally take you hours to find your perfect setup. That is if you don’t want to use the preset settings available in the Themes sub-menu. These themes are pre-set by Mercedes-Benz and have special color schemes and various settings to adapt to your needs.
The instrument cluster can show the information in four different styles, from Classic to Understated, depending on your preference. You can customize it and the infotainment screen located on the right and save everything in a theme, along with audio settings, seat and steering wheel position and even ambient lighting settings.
You can also adjust each of the two roundels on the instrument cluster to show different info, that you may deem more relevant to you than the classic speedometer and tachometer. You can see the tilt angle, the suspension height, the fuel consumption, media info and so on.
It is amazing how much info these screens can show and it is a testament to what can be done in a car today, with a bit of imagination.
After all, these are screens so why not customize the hell out of what’s shown on them? After you’re done playing with them, just save a couple of preferred modes and use them as themes later on.
The AMG Steering Is A Nice Touch
Another honorable mention is the steering wheel. Admittedly, we had the AMG steering wheel at our disposal which was really good, with a nice, hefty feel to it and just the right amount of thickness. There were two points on it though to which you might want to pay more attention.
These are the new touch-sensitive buttons implemented by Mercedes-Benz on its new models. They allow you to control the information displayed on each of the screens. Therefore, you could use the one on the left to control the info displayed in the instrument cluster and the one on the right to control the info displayed on the central infotainment screen.
Do they work? They take a bit of getting used to but they do work. All you have to do is slide your finger over one of the buttons in whatever direction you want and the car responds. To pick something on the screen just press on the button once a selection was made. They are most welcome and they will become a necessity over
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