From the outside, the GLE550e is virtually indistinguishable from non-plug vehicles in the GLE line. On the inside, the differences start to become more noticeable. Like many vehicles adapted (but not originally designed) to house a battery and electric motor, the GLE plug-in loses cargo space compared to gas-only models. The 8.7-kWh battery pack is placed under the boot floor and cuts cargo space by either 10 percent or 30 percent depending upon whether the rear seats are down or up. In fact, Mercedes鈥檚 smaller crossover SUVs beat the GLE550e in rear storage capacity. Fortunately, passenger comfort hasn鈥 檛 been sacrificed. The rear seats accommodate three occupants about as much as any crossover on the market. Even taller passengers should be fine riding in the back. The front seats are wide and well-supported, with plenty of arm, head and leg room. The center console sports an 8-inch touchscreen that is unobtrusively mounted between the air vents and above an easy-to-access button panel. This allows control of more common commands without having to navigate through a line of menu options.

From the outside, the GLE550e is virtually indistinguishable from non-plug vehicles in the GLE line. On the inside, the differences start to become more noticeable. Like many vehicles adapted (but not originally designed) to house a battery and electric motor, the GLE plug-in loses cargo space compared to gas-only models. The 8.7-kWh battery pack is placed under the boot floor and cuts cargo space by either 10 percent or 30 percent depending upon whether the rear seats are down or up. In fact, Mercedes鈥檚 smaller crossover SUVs beat the GLE550e in rear storage capacity. Fortunately, passenger comfort hasn鈥檛 been sacrificed. The rear seats accommodate three occupants about as much as any crossover on the market. Even taller passengers should be fine riding in the back. The front seats are wide and well-supported, with plenty of arm, head and leg room. The center console sports an 8-inch touchscreen that is unobtrusively mounted between the air vents and above an easy-to-access button panel. This allows control of more common commands without having to navigate through a line of menu options.

Unfortunately, switching between driving modes鈥攐r even figuring out which one you鈥檙e in鈥攔equires turning a dial and glancing down at the screen. The 2016 GLE550e couples an 85-kW (116-horsepower) electric motor to a direct-injected, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V6, which outputs 333 horsepower on its own. The electric motor and engine never reach full power at the same time, combining for a peak output of 436 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque. The GLE plug-in鈥檚 straight-line acceleration is enough to match the performance of the GLE V8, hitting 60 miles per hour from a stop in just 5.3 seconds. Regardless of what mix of gasoline and electric power you鈥檙e driving on, critics say the GLE550e integrates with advanced features that weren鈥檛 necessarily developed to accommodate it. The Mercedes鈥?adaptive cruise control skillfully uses the electric motor to add small bursts of acceleration to keep even distance with other vehicles. The 550e carries the extra weight of its hybrid system well for having not been designed for a hybrid powertrain platform.

Though the 2016 GLE550e was reported to have a range of about 20 miles leading up to its US release, the Environmental Protection Agency rated it for just 10 miles in a purely all-electric mode. Practically speaking, the SUV鈥檚 8.7 kWh battery is good for a relatively short commute or dropping the kids off at school before a quick stop at the grocery store, and then it becomes a 21-MPG hybrid SUV. With small-battery plug-in hybrids, it鈥檚 always important to understand your unique driving patterns and how frequently you鈥檒l have a chance to charge in between trips. The EPA gives the 550e a 43-MPGe combined equivalent efficiency rating but depending on the driver, real-world performance could cut that half or double it. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary. One way to alter almost any plug-in鈥檚 range performance is with the selection of driving modes. The GLE鈥檚 plug-in hybrid system offers four settings: Hybrid; E-Mode; E-Save; and Charge. Hybrid mode optimizes efficiency and raises the EPA-rated electric range to the vehicle's upper limits while emphasizing overall efficiency.

E-Mode transforms the car into a pure electric until its range is depleted. E-Save cuts off the battery to preserve electric range for later in a trip. Charge mode replenishes the battery, using the engine as a generator at the expense of some fuel usage. The 550e also offers three additional transmission modes that override the plug-in settings. Of these, the most impressive is E-Plus mode, which uses satellite technology to optimize the use of electric power. From a normal outlet, the GLE550e can recharge its battery to full capacity in a little more than four hours. 2,000) which cuts charge time to probably less than two hours. We doubt that it's worth the expense of the faster charging. Using Charge mode while driving will replenish the battery in less than 40 minutes. 53,000 base-level GLE350, but that model isn鈥檛 comparably equipped or nearly as adept a performer. 40,000 less than the AMG.