The completely newly developed air conditioning system of the new GLE has the qualities of a very good butler: working as quietly as possible, effortless guessing the wishes of the occupants and carrying them out unobtrusively. And it has a few more, mysterious tricks which allow wellbeing to be heightened even further. Depending on the equipment level, two different versions of the air conditioning system are available: THERMATIC two-zone automatic climate control and THERMOTRONIC four-zone air conditioning. Other options improve climatic comfort even further.

As the new GLE is so quiet, the heater fan needs to be quieter than ever. Accordingly the fan motor rests on rubber bearings so that no vibrations are transferred to the housing that might lead to a noise in the interior. A coating on the air ducts additionally dampens airflow noises. The air is then conducted to the vents after thorough filtering and temperature control according to the weather and the occupants' wishes: separately for the driver and front passenger sides in the case of THERMATIC, or also separately climatised for the left and right sides of the second seat row with THERMOTRONIC, which also has additional vents in the B-pillars and footwells.

Convenient: the air conditioning system thinks for itself

In both versions, the aim of the air conditioning control system is for the driver to make a setting and the rest to be done automatically. This is why several sensors measure the inside and outside temperatures, the angle of the sun and even the air humidity at the windscreen, so as to prevent misted-up windows before they can disturb the driver.

In the case of THERMOTRONIC, the control unit of the air conditioning system also detects poor air quality outside the vehicle, or receives a warning from the navigation system if the vehicle is approaching a tunnel. In both cases the system automatically switches to air recirculation mode, and the side windows and sliding sunroof are closed.

Like a good butler, the control system also remembers the personal preferences of up to seven different, regular users and one guest.

The ultimate on request: surface heating and AIR-BALANCE

Customers living in a cold region who attach particular importance to maximum thermal comfort can opt for the Warmth Comfort package rather than normal seat heating – which is of course also available. This includes particularly fast-acting heating of the front seats, and also of the centre armrest and the front door panels with their armrests. Heating wires in these surfaces ensure more homogeneous and cosy warmth after entering the cold vehicle. Naturally seat heating is also available for the second seat row.

Even more wellness is assured by the AIR-BALANCE package. This has two particularly clever features. One is active fragrancing of the interior: activated, deactivated and variably controlled via a separate menu in the multimedia system, a fragrance generator perfumes the air entering the interior with a pleasant fragrance from a glass flask. There is a choice of eight different, meticulously composed fragrances, such as "Forest Mood". They can be changed by replacing the flask, which is reminiscent of a high-quality perfume bottle.

But even those who want to smell less will like the AIR-BALANCE package, as it includes an enlarged activated charcoal filter filled with activated charcoal from coconut shells which can trap unpleasant pollutants in the outside air before they enter the interior.

Yet another benefit of the AIR-BALANCE package is air ionisation by a high-voltage ioniser in the air duct. The ioniser generates negative ions which are attracted by the mainly positively charged airborne particles. Owing to the magnetic attraction, the particles form heavier agglomerations and fall to the floor. The particles concerned are certain viruses, bacteria and spores whose deactivation measurably benefits asthmatics and allergy sufferers. Ionisation freshens the air and keeps the driver fit for longer.