• More cabin space thanks to longer wheelbase than old car
• Roomy second row seating, rearmost seats are mainly for kids
• Cavernous boot is vast, especially with all seats down

How much space is there?

Both the GLE’s first and second row of seats are supremely comfortable with plenty of space to stretch out. Even those sitting in the middle seat will benefit from a reasonable amount of shoulder room, plus a shallow central tunnel means there’s little issues with leg and foot space. Those in the second row are also treated to their own dual-zone climate control, with USB charging another standard feature.

Access to the rearmost seats isn’t suited to those unsteady on their feet, thanks to a large step up and narrow access. And while the Easy Entry function of the fully electrically adjustable second row means you can fold the seats down one-handed, they are quite slow to move fully in to and out of position.

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Once you’ve managed to clamber in, it’s clear that the rearmost seats are best suited to children. Headroom is reasonable, yet knee and foot room is tight unless the second row seats are moved forward. Note that seven seats are fitted as standard to the GLE SUV unless you opt for the 400 e plug-in hybrid where it’s five seats only.

Storage space, meanwhile, is generous. Large door pockets easily capable of swallowing a one-litre bottle of water should prove useful, while a decent-sized glovebox and cavernous under-armrest compartment complement the GLE’s practicality. Heated and cooled cupholders (in the front) are also included as is a spot for your phone (with wireless charging).

Boot and storage space

The GLE’s boot offers an extra 45 litres of luggage space (with the third row folded flat) over the previous generation car (630 litres in total), yet this still isn’t enough to overtake the gargantuan Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90. That said, it is bigger than what the BMW X5 has to offer, and a two-seat capacity of 2,055 litres is bigger than all of its rivals. Note that the five-seat plug-in hybird model sees a 140-litre reduction in space to accommodate the additional hardware.

Ease of use is impressive thanks to a standard electronic tailgate, minimal loading lip and handily shaped floor with zero intrusions from the wheelarches. The rear seats can be folded down in a 40:20:40 split using switches in the boot – handy for when you’ve got your hands full.

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As the GLE sits quite high off the ground, the lip is quite high to lug heavy items over. If you have air suspension fitted, though, you can lower the car to make it a bit easier. Definitely a worthwhile consideration for things like luggage and pushchairs. Lashing points are also provided to secure luggage in place, while specialised boot tub and luggage crates can also be ordered from the dealer.

Is it easy to park?

Longer and wider than the previous model (which wasn’t exactly petite), the GLE is a sizeable car to navigate through city streets and car parks. The blindspots are chunky (hence the standard blindspot monitoring kit) and the long, tall bonnet can be hard to judge in tighter gaps. Just viewing it parked reveals just how big it is.

However, Mercedes-Benz does give you a fighting chance by fitting the Parking Package as standard. This includes a 360-degree camera – giving you a bird’s eye view of the car – and Active Parking Assist, capable of manoeuvring the car into and out of parking spaces. Despite its chunky size, it is surprisingly manoeuvrable with light steering and a tight turning circle for such a large car, making it a bit more user-friendly than an Audi Q7 when manoeuvring in tight spaces.

Safety

• Five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP
• Proves to be a very safe family car
• Vast array of safety kit – much of it optional

Tested in 2019, the GLE achieved a five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP, making it one of the safest large family SUVs with impressive scores for adult occupant protection and child occupant protection.

You do have to pay extra for the most advanced driver assistance gadgets, though, with standard kit only consisting of features such as Active Braking Assist (similar to autonomous emergency braking), blindspot assist, lane-keeping assist and attention assist.

Splash out on the Driving Assistance package however, and the door will be opened to more sophisticated technology, including Active Blindspot Assist (where the car can intervene if it senses a collision with a vehicle in its blindspot is imminent), Active Lane-change Assist (allows the car to automatically change lanes when the driver indicates) and route-based speed adjustment – where the car automatically adjusts its speed (when on adaptive cruise control) when approaching junctions or corners.

As well as the advanced assistance technology, the GLE also features a large number of airbags and two Isofix child seat points on the outer rear seats as standard.