2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift Spied Inside

Mercedes-Benz GLE is set to get a facelift soon, and its first prototypes were spotted earlier this summer. Meanwhile, winter has come, and the German marque has taken the prototype of the GLE facelift for its share of cold-weather testing.
 

The current-generation Mercedes-Benz GLE may be a relatively new model on the market but the German company knows the competition isn’t sleeping. The company from Stuttgart will give the X5-rivaling model a refresh that is currently under development. Our spies managed to catch a camouflaged prototype testing on public roads and even got close enough to the vehicle to snap what’s happening inside.
 

This is our first interior look at the refreshed GLE and for now, it seems that not much will change. The dashboard doesn’t seem to feature any changes, still relying on the dual-screen overall layout. There are four air vents underneath the infotainment display and several physical buttons controlling different audio and HVAC functions of the car. The only notable difference we noticed is the new steering wheel with a V-shaped design and a piano black finish.
 
From the outside, it appears that the GLE will continue mostly unchanged with the only visible tweaks appearing at the front. Judging by the camouflage, the headlights could receive new internal graphics. The radiator grille on this prototype has an interesting camouflaging cover, which may be a hint at further changes to the front fascia.
 

With this being just a mid-cycle facelift, we don’t expect any major changes in the engine department. The GLE will probably continue to be offered with a selection of electrified four- and six-cylinder engines, as well as a range-topping twin-turbo V8.
 
The vehicle from the gallery above has a plug-in hybrid system, which is currently not available in the United States. In Europe, this version of the SUV relies on a 2.0-liter diesel engine supported by an electric motor for a combined output of 320 horsepower (235 kilowatts) and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters) of torque. The GLE 350de has a rather large 31.2-kWh battery pack, which gives it an electric range of up to 61.5 miles (99 kilometers) based on the WLTP cycle.