2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE vs 2024 Toyota Sequoia

A subtle refresh for the 2024 model year (launched in 2023) keeps the popular Mercedes sport-utility competitive against a wide roster of rivals, which include the BMW X5, Genesis GV70, Cadillac XT6, Acura MDX, and Volvo XC90, to name just a few.

Changes between the previous GLE and the 2024 model year consist primarily of a subtle redesign of the front grille (look closely and you’ll see it's now filled with tiny Mercedes-Benz star logos), reprofiled headlights and taillights, an updated infotainment system, and optional off-road-themed air suspension system that can raise the GLE 3 centimetres to clear obstacles. It can also shimmy this Mercedes sport-ute back and forth to help get it unstuck over tricky terrain.

Specific to our testing purposes, the 2024 GLE also ushers in a new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant called the GLE 450e 4Matic. As the last part of the name suggests, like every 2024 GLE, all-wheel drive (AWD) is fitted as standard. Yet the big news is what’s under the hood of this new model, namely a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an electric motor and 23.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

While fully electrified vehicles presently grab the most automotive headlines, a week spent on a test drive of the GLE 450e highlighted how easily this luxurious PHEV sport-utility adapts to all sorts of driving situations.

The Toyota Sequoia gained a standard hybrid powertrain when it entered its third generation, just last year. While the tech updates were widely celebrated and the facelift considered unobjectionable even by its harshest critics, the move to hybrid power proved to be something of a mixed bag. Increased towing and hauling power bolstered the obvious advantage of improved fuel economy, but impact was somewhat dampened by the reduction in cargo and third-row space to accommodate the new battery.

Verdict: The Sequoia may not be the most capable full-size SUV in the segment, and it’s certainly not the most spacious. It is, however, the only hybrid in its class, and it offers a blend of seating capacity, towing power, and fuel efficiency you won’t find elsewhere—at least, not if you don’t want to go diesel.