Search

The Mercedes-Benz GLE, formerly Mercedes-Benz M-Class (designated with the "ML" nomenclature), is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz since 1997. In terms of size, it is slotted in between the smaller GLC and the larger GLS, the latter with which it shares platforms.

The first-generation M-Class, designated with the model code W163, is a body-on-frame SUV and was produced until 2004. For a short time, between 1999 and 2002, the W163 M-Class was also built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, for the European market, before all production moved to the U.S. plant near Vance, Alabama. The second-generation M-Class (W164) moved to a unibody platform while sharing most components with the GL-Class, which sports a longer body to accommodate third-row seating.

Since April 2015, the M-Class has been renamed to the GLE with the release of the facelifted W166 model, in an effort to harmonize Mercedes-Benz SUV nameplates by aligning it with the E-Class.