For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLE have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Genesis GV80 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.
The GLE’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The GV80 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
Compared to metal, the GLE’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Genesis GV80 has a metal gas tank.
Both the GLE and the GV80 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes GLE is safer than the Genesis GV80:
|
GLE |
GV80 |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
84 |
328 |
Neck Injury Risk |
24% |
24.1% |
Neck Compression |
17 lbs. |
25 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
301/184 lbs. |
254/334 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
209 |
263 |
Chest Compression |
.4 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
31% |
34% |
Neck Stress |
125 lbs. |
228 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
31 lbs. |
65 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
401/438 lbs. |
388/497 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes GLE is safer than the Genesis GV80:
|
GLE |
GV80 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
287 lbs. |
293 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
14 inches |
HIC |
264 |
290 |
Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
41 G’s |
Hip Force |
615 lbs. |
640 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GLE its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 135 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GV80 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.