What the 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLE’s AIRMATIC Suspension Does Once a Trailer Is Hooked Up

Towing a trailer changes how any SUV feels on the road. The hitch weight shifts the rear down, steering gets vague, and every gust of wind on the highway asks a question of the suspension. The 2027 GLE answers that question with AIRMATIC, an available air suspension built to keep the ride settled when the back end is carrying more than usual.

For Quebec drivers who tow seasonally, whether it’s a boat, a utility trailer, or gear for a family trip, that shift in behaviour matters. Here’s what AIRMATIC actually does about it.

What AIRMATIC Air Suspension Is

AIRMATIC is an available air suspension system on the 2027 GLE that replaces conventional steel springs with air-filled units at each corner. Instead of a fixed ride height and fixed damping, the system can adjust both in response to load and road conditions.

On the GLE 580 4MATIC, an optional step further is available: E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL, which builds on the AIRMATIC hardware and regulates each wheel individually. Both systems are part of the same design goal: keep the vehicle level and composed regardless of what’s happening underneath it or behind it.

How It Works With a Trailer Connected

Once a trailer is hitched up, AIRMATIC and E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL automatically adjust to the added load. The systems regulate vehicle height and damping to compensate for the weight now sitting on the rear axle, rather than leaving the driver to feel out a squat in the back and a light front end.

The suspension’s intelligent damping control also adjusts before the vehicle hits a bump, not just after, which matters more with a trailer in tow since impacts translate differently through a loaded rear axle. None of this requires driver input. The system reads the load and reacts.

AIRMATIC works alongside, but separately from, the GLE’s ESP trailer stabilization. If trailer sway is detected, that system applies targeted braking, up to and including braking the full vehicle-trailer combination, until the oscillation settles and it disengages automatically. AIRMATIC’s job is levelling and damping; ESP trailer stabilization’s job is correcting sway. They’re two different tools solving two different parts of the same towing problem.

Why This Matters on the Road

A trailer that pushes the rear of an SUV down changes more than posture. It changes how the front end responds to steering input, how the brakes feel, and how the vehicle reacts to a crosswind while merging onto the highway. A suspension that keeps the rear settled keeps those inputs closer to how the GLE behaves unloaded.

That consistency shows up in ordinary moments: a lane change around slower highway traffic, a merge onto a busy on-ramp, or a steady cruise across uneven pavement with a trailer behind you. The GLE’s maximum towing capacity is 7,700 lbs (3,493 kg), and AIRMATIC’s job is to keep that capability from feeling like a compromise on ride quality.

Ride comfort holds up too. Passengers and cargo stay more settled over rough pavement because the system is actively managing damping rather than letting a fixed-rate spring absorb every imperfection the same way, loaded or not.

Who Benefits Most

AIRMATIC is most relevant to Quebec shoppers who tow seasonally rather than constantly: a boat for the warmer months, a trailer for a cottage run, or gear for family trips where cargo space and towing both come into play. These drivers want the capability without giving up the comfort they bought a GLE for in the first place.

It also suits shoppers who deal with mixed road surfaces on a regular route, since the system’s predictive damping response applies whether or not a trailer is attached. Anyone cross-shopping the GLE against a lineup of engine choices, from the 255 hp GLE 350 4MATIC up to the 530 hp GLE 580 4MATIC, should treat AIRMATIC as a separate decision from powertrain: it’s about how the load rides, not how quickly you get up to speed.

Towing With Confidence in the 2027 GLE

AIRMATIC turns trailer towing from a compromise into a manageable part of ownership, using automatic height and damping adjustments that respond to load without any input from the driver. Paired with the GLE’s 7,700 lbs (3,493 kg) towing capacity and ESP trailer stabilization, it addresses the ride, the stance, and the stability all at once.

Visit Mercedes-Benz Blainville in Mirabel to see how the 2027 GLE’s available AIRMATIC suspension fits your towing needs, whether that’s a boat, a utility trailer, or a fully loaded family trip.