- The 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 plug-in hybrid crests the 500-hp threshold with an upgraded 3.0-liter inline-six and a new 134-hp electric motor.
- Peak output of 536 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque is enough to send the GLE53 PHEV to 60 mph in a claimed 4.6 seconds.
- The 31.2-kWh battery can charge at up 60 kW on a DC fast-charger, but Mercedes hasn’t yet released the plug-in GLE53’s electric-only driving range.
There are changes afoot in Affalterbach, Germany. First, Mercedes-AMG ditched the C63 sports sedan’s roaring V-8 in favor of a four-cylinder plug-in-hybrid setup. Now, the Germans have set about hybridizing the rest of the lineup, and the latest to get the electrified treatment is the GLE SUV. The 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 Hybrid, revealed yesterday, packs a 536-horsepower plug-in-hybrid powertrain and will reach the United States in late 2025.
Meet the AMG GLE53 Hybrid
Available in both traditional SUV and sloped-roof “Coupe” body styles, the GLE53 PHEV pairs the turbocharged inline-six from the standard GLE53 with an electric motor for a peak output of 536 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque; 443 of those ponies come via the 3.0-liter engine, which ekes out an extra 14 hp over the standard GLE53 thanks to revised software and an extra heat exchanger. The permanently excited synchronous electric motor contributes 134 horses and 354 pound-feet, receiving its electrons from a battery with an estimated usable capacity of 27.5 kWh.
With the plug-in-hybrid powertrain motivating all four wheels, Mercedes claims the portly GLE53 will scoot to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. The GLE53 Hybrid can drive on electric power alone up to 87 mph, with an 11-kW AC and 60-kW DC on-board charger replenishing the battery. Mercedes has yet to divulge an estimated electric-only driving range.
The air suspension has been revised for the plug-in-hybrid model, which also adds new bump stops in the front struts and new dampers at the rear. Like the standard GLE53, the front brake rotors measure 15.7 inches, but they are now paired with six-piston fixed calipers versus the two-piston units on the nonhybrid model. The rear discs are also beefed up to 14.6 inches from the 13.6-inch units on the normal GLE53, but they still work in conjunction with single-piston floating calipers. Mercedes also says the all-wheel-drive system and steering have been retuned.
Spotting the PHEV GLE53
The 2026 Mercedes-AMG GLE53 Hybrid has a few subtle visual tweaks, with an extra opening in the front end to usher air to the new heat exchanger and new badges on the fenders and tailgate highlighting the SUV’s hybrid status. The infotainment screens also gain new hybrid-specific displays, such as a charging-status indicator and a gauge for the battery temperature.
Mercedes hasn’t released pricing for the plug-in-hybrid GLE53, which should come closer to the SUV’s 2025 on-sale date, but we expect the PHEV model to cost more than the existing $87,900 GLE53. Mercedes wouldn’t clarify whether the plug-in hybrid would be sold alongside the current gas-only GLE53, stating that details on the 2026 AMG GLE lineup are “subject to future announcement.”
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Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
