- Spotted in 53 AMG guise

- Both coupe and standard versions undergoing tests

Introduced at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, the current-gen Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class has been around long enough for it to be due for a mid-life update. TAs the facelifted version is expected to arrive next year, ahead of which prototypes of the refreshed GLE were caught testing in the Austrian Alps.

Hauling weight in the winter testing, there were two prototypes were spied – standard and the coupe-SUV body styles. Both were wearing disguises at the front and back revealing them to be high-performance AMG derivatives. Although not the full-blown 63 AMG, the prototypes were wearing enough pizzazz and glamour to pass as the 53 AMG.

Upfront, the test prototypes had a Panamericana grille with a gaping bumper setup. They were riding on blacked-out AMG-spec wheels and had quad-exhaust sticking out at the back. The rest of the car was sans camouflage free which means changes would be limited to the newer headlamp and tail lamp signatures along with subtle changes to the bumpers.

Powertrain-wise we don’t expect many changes to the GLE line-up. We could see some software updates with the MBUX with modern-day connectivity features. We still aren’t sure of the ADAS feature making it to the GLE yet. Expect some added sporty bits for the AMG versions.

The global premiere of the updated GLE-Class is expected to happen either early next year at one of the major auto shows. It will promptly be launched in India as well.