Mercedes GLE 500e plug-in hybrid gallery

The GLE 500e is the plug-in hybrid model of the Mercedes GLE range

It combines a 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine with an electric motor and battery pack

When both power plants work together, the GLE500e can reach 62mph from a standing start in 5.3 seconds

Performance is key to the appeal of the 500e, though it's too big and heavy to feel like a sports car.

Quiet, relaxed cruising is one of the GLE 500e's greatest talents

The V6 petrol engine is quiet at cruising speeds, and makes a pleasant sound when you accelerate

Low-speed driving, in urban areas, is virtually silent

It's the all-electric mode that's key to the second part of the GLE500e's appeal...

...thanks to low official CO2 emissions measurements, the GLE500e attracts a low rate of company car tax

The Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rating for the 500e is far lower than even the entry-level diesel model

Mercedes claims an 18.6 mile all-electric range on a full charge...

...if your daily commute is less far than that, in slow, start-stop driving, you may rarely use petrol.

If you do mainly motorway driving, though, you're unlikely to realise Mercedes' 70+mpg claim

Fuel consumption for those who live out of town will see economy closer to a regular 3.0-litre petrol SUV

Otherwise, all the regular GLE virtues of safety, solidity and prestige are plain to see