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Battery size: 31.2kWh
Company car tax: 7%
Emissions: 22g/km
Range: 66 miles (WLTP claimed)
Fuel economy: 30.4 MPG
Pricing
The regular 350de plug-in hybrid SUV comes in three very well specified trim levels with prices kicking off at £67,260 for the AMG Line trim. That may sound quite a lot but it’s on par with its nearest rivals like the BMW X5 xDrive 45e and Volvo XC90 Recharge, and you do get a lot of kit as standard. AMG Line gets 20-inch wheels, LED headlights, two 12.3-inch screens, 64-colour ambient lighting, Nappa leather seats, wireless phone charging and more. It’s all you really need but if you do crave some extra luxuries, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus will suit – Premium gets augmented reality sat-nav, a 360-degree parking camera and wheels up to 22-inch in size, while Premium Plus features a panoramic sunroof, air suspension and a top-end Burmester stereo. It’s worth noting, though, the GLE 350de Coupe only comes in AMG Line Premium Plus trim, but no matter which bodystyle or trim you choose, Mercedes throws in two charging cables – a three-pin and a Type 2 – which isn’t always a given with plug-in hybrids.
Running costs
According to Mercedes’ figures, the GLE returns between 313 and 403mpg which is frankly impossible to achieve. We managed around 100mpg on a short 30-mile commute which was completed on electric power alone, while a longer journey which saw a mixture of diesel and electric power used returned around 70mpg, which is very good indeed. Once the battery pack is depleted of electricity and the diesel engine has to solely power the car, around 40mpg is normal.
The GLE 350de could be a real boon for company car drivers because of how much CO2 it coughs out. At 29g/km it’s amazingly low (by comparison, the smaller Range Rover Velar P400e PHEV emits 49g/km) and because its has a claimed 66-mile electric range, the big Benz falls into the 7% BiK tax bracket – that’s lower than Mercedes’ own, smaller GLC 300e and 300de plug-in hybrid models. The price difference between the entry-level diesel GLE and the plug-in hybrid is under £3,500 which is very reasonable – some manufacturers, like BMW, charge a bigger premium for the hybrid model.
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