REVIEW | Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d stands for diesel excellence

There was a time in the contemporary motoring landscape when diesel was punted as the next frontier in passenger car powertrains.

More economical than petrol counterparts and with the potential to be just as powerful, the set of modern, turbocharged oil-burners put paid to spectres of smoking, smelly, clattering counterparts from the early days of the technology.

Not just for farming implements and commercial vehicles any more, diesels found their way into some of the most impressive cars of the last two decades. See names like Audi Q7 V12 TDI for further reading. Or the original BMW X5 M50d, with its triplet of turbochargers.

We all know the fuel type lost its lustre when the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal started to unravel around 2015. Turned out the firm was being economical with the truth, when its cars were found to have defeat devices that cheated their way through emissions testing programmes.

That expedited the push towards electrification, prompting many leading manufacturers to declare cut-off dates for internal combustion engines altogether. Except now, some appear to be backtracking on such bold ambitions.

In 2021 Mercedes-Benz said it was ready to go all-electric by 2030. Earlier this year the company's Ola Kallenius discussed a more flexible approach that will see the continuation of production and investment in internal combustion models.

That offers some consolation to local fans of the three-pointed star who are yet to get on board with the prospect of full electrification. Mercedes-Benz offers fully-electric derivatives mirroring the existing range, but these models are significantly more expensive.

Then you also have to contend with the lifestyle adjustment that comes with ownership. The charging network in the country is well developed but for time savings and outright convenience filling up a fuel tank beats the process of plugging into a charger.

We recently had a turn in the Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d and it could well be one of the best engines the German brand has in its stable. It has been about six years since the current GLE was first shown.

After driving the model at its global media launch in San Antonio, Texas, towards the end of 2018, we reported favourably on the how the gap had been closed between it and its chief rival, the BMW X5.

The current GLE introduced features including an intelligent air suspension set-up that helped the car lean into corners, not unlike a superbike rider. It was also one of the first models from the brand to make use of the screen-intensive MBUX operating interface, replete with the “Hey Mercedes” in-car assistant. In October last year the enhanced GLE was launched locally, sporting mild stylistic revisions, upgraded interior appointments and improved specifications.

The GLE 300d 4MATIC is the most attainable model in the range, starting at R1,970,200. You will pay R2,047,200 for the more powerful GLE 450d 4MATIC while the petrol-engined GLE 450 4MATIC seven-seater comes in at R2,200,750. All these prices are before optional extras, of course.

Powering the GLE 300d is the familiar four-cylinder, turbocharged-diesel unit Mercedes-Benz uses in many of its products, with a displacement of 1,993cc. But had you not been told it was a humble four-pot, you might assume off the bat that you were dealing with a much larger engine, so stout is the performance.

In isolation, the motor makes 198kW/550Nm which are not numbers to be sneezed at. But the ace in the sleeve is a 48-volt mild hybrid system, with an integrated starter generator, enabling an additional boost of 15kW/200Nm. That allows lag-free pace, with a near-instant rearing-up of the nose when you kick the accelerator down.

The engine delivers a wonderfully smooth groundswell of torque, fulfilling the (claimed) 0-100km/h requirement in 6.9 seconds. Not far off the sprint time yielded by a compact hot hatchback like the Volkswagen Polo GTI. All that while returning consumption figures under 8l/100km and lower when finessed — not bad at all for a vehicle weighing 2,165kg.

While it would be safe to say the X5 still pips it in the area of dynamics, the GLE has its own textures that some might appreciate. It has a hefty sense about it, more inclined to pounding down straight sections of freeway, than negotiating the slower twists and turns of town driving. No gripes to be levelled at the silky nine-speed automatic, or the four-wheel drive system that delivers confident grip.

The compact models in the Mercedes-Benz line-up usually exhibit evidence of cost-cutting, but that is not entirely the case when it comes to full-sized models like the GLE. From the solid thunk of the doors to the rich veneers of interior surfaces, it has a certain air of tradition that almost puts one in mind of much older Mercedes-Benz products.

In summary, the GLE 300d is perhaps the sweet spot of the range. And a testament to how the diesel concept has been polished to near perfection.