Mercedes stretches the GLE for China and edges past BMW by millimeters
The long-wheelbase GLE is now rolling off a Beijing Benz line, with 3115 mm between the axles and a September launch aimed squarely at the locally built BMW X5.
Mercedes-Benz no longer wants to watch BMW dominate China’s large premium SUV market alone. The long-wheelbase GLE has reached the production line: the first series cars have rolled out of the Beijing Benz plant in Shunyi, and Chinese sales are due to start in September 2026. It is a major shift — for the first time, the GLE will be built locally instead of relying on imports.
The biggest weapon is hidden in the dimensions. The GLE L wheelbase has been stretched to 3115 mm, a full 120 mm more than the standard version, while overall length reaches 5051 mm. This is where things get interesting: the locally built BMW X5 has a 3105 mm wheelbase. Mercedes has beaten its main rival by only 10 mm, but it has beaten it nonetheless.
Mercedes also appears to have aimed directly at BMW with the powertrains. The GLE 350 L uses the 2.0-liter M254 with 190 kW, or 258 hp, and 400 Nm. The GLE 450 L gets a 3.0-liter inline “six” M256 producing 280 kW, 381 hp and 560 Nm. Both versions have 4MATIC, while the more powerful model also gains air suspension with two-valve adaptive dampers. For comparison, the Chinese BMW X5 xDrive30Li produces the same 258 hp and 400 Nm, while the xDrive40Li makes 381 hp. Coincidence? Hardly.
Localization goes much further than a stretched wheelbase. The cabin gets a triple-screen setup, a virtual assistant based on China’s Doubao model and a driver-assistance suite built around Momenta R6. Later, an over-the-air update is expected to move it to the Momenta R7 world model, adding “parking spot to parking spot” navigation. That means it is still too early to claim that the first production cars already have the full R7 feature set.
Mercedes is effectively copying a formula BMW has already tested in China: a long wheelbase, local production and digital features tailored for local buyers. One crucial number is still missing, however. Mercedes has not announced an official GLE L price, while the BMW X5 currently starts at 598,000 yuan in China. The September price will show whether Mercedes is truly ready to attack the localized X5 or is content with a symbolic 10 mm advantage.