2026 Mercedes GLE Facelift Arrives With New PHEV Versions

Mercedes will carry out a second facelift this spring for the Mercedes GLE and GLE Coupe to better compete with the new BMW X5, which will debut in autumn 2026.
 

The Mercedes GLE (W167) is the oldest model in the current Mercedes lineup, alongside the A-Class, having been launched in autumn 2018 at the Paris Motor Show. A subtle facelift was introduced in January 2023, but this is no longer sufficient to keep it competitive for several more years—especially since the new BMW X5 will debut in autumn 2026 with five powertrain options: diesel, gasoline, PHEV, electric, and hydrogen fuel cell.
 
Therefore, this time Mercedes will implement a major facelift for the Mercedes GLE (W167) and the coupe version (C167), which—besides design updates—will bring many software and powertrain changes. Let’s go through them step by step.
 
Design and Interior Updates
The Mercedes GLE and GLE Coupe receive a new grille, optionally illuminated, a redesigned front bumper, and new headlights, optionally featuring Digital Light. As with other Mercedes models, the taillights will have a light signature that replicates the Mercedes logo.
 
Inside, the redesigned dashboard can be configured with two 12.3-inch displays for the digital instrument cluster and the infotainment system. Optionally, the Superscreen setup with three displays will also be available.
 
The infotainment system will receive a new Nvidia processor and the new MB.OS operating system, which integrates Google services and artificial intelligence. New third-party apps will also be available, such as Microsoft Teams.
 
Mercedes is also responding to criticism of the touch-sensitive steering wheel controls by introducing a new steering wheel with two rotary buttons for Distronic adaptive cruise control and audio volume.
 
Driver assistance systems will support Level 2+ autonomous driving in Europe and Level 2++ in China and North America.
 
Four-cylinder engines will be discontinued in PHEV versions
It appears that customers in this segment do not favor four-cylinder engines, so Mercedes will phase them out. As a result:
– The Mercedes GLE 300 d 4MATIC (2.0L diesel, 269 PS) will be discontinued
– The diesel PHEV Mercedes GLE 350 de 4MATIC will also disappear
– The GLE 400e PHEV (four-cylinder gasoline engine) will no longer be offered
 
The base model will become the six-cylinder diesel GLE 350d 4MATIC with 313 PS, followed by the more powerful GLE 450d 4MATIC with 367 PS.
 
The gasoline lineup in Europe will start with the GLE 450 4MATIC, featuring an inline six-cylinder engine with 381 PS. In China and North America, the GLE 350 4MATIC with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine will still be available.
 
Alongside the AMG GLE 53 Hybrid 4MATIC, a second PHEV model will be introduced, combining a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder gasoline engine (326 PS, M256 Evo) with a 163 PS electric motor. The electric-only range will remain above 100 km.
 
A new addition to the lineup is the M177 Evo engine from the facelifted S-Class. In the GLE 580 4MATIC, it will produce 537 PS and will be paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system featuring a 23 PS starter-generator.
 
In fact, all engines will feature a 48V mild-hybrid system with a more powerful integrated starter-generator (23 PS compared to 20 PS previously). All engines sold in the EU will comply with EU7 emissions standards.
 
The Mercedes GLE / GLE Coupe facelift will be presented in May 2026, and production will begin in September 2026 at the plant in Tuscaloosa, USA.
 
For now, the Mercedes EQE SUV will remain in production, but in the medium term it will be replaced by the GLE EQ, which will use the new MB.EA platform—also underpinning the upcoming GLC EQ and future C-Class EQ.