Cold Air Intake for Mercedes Benz E-Class GLE-Class (2016-2018) 3.0L

High-Flow Cold Air Intake for 2016-2018 Mercedes Benz E-Class, GLE-Class (W212/W213/W166)

What it Does: The Cold Air Intake replaces the restrictive factory air box on 2016-2018 Mercedes Benz E-Class and GLE-Class models to increase volumetric airflow, reduce intake air temperatures, and sharpen turbocharger response.

The Stock Mercedes Benz Air Box Restriction and Thermal Inefficiency

The factory intake tract on the twin-turbocharged M276 DELA 30 3.0L V6 relies on narrow corrugated plastic ducting, internal silencer baffles, and tightly enclosed paper panel filters. This configuration creates excessive boundary-layer friction and air turbulence before reaching the compressor inlets. Furthermore, the OEM composite air boxes retain radiant engine-bay heat, accelerating thermal soak during sustained boost conditions and causing the factory ECU to retard ignition timing as charge-air temperatures rise.

The Engineering Solution

This intake system replaces the restrictive OEM routing with smooth-bore, enlarged-diameter inlet pipes engineered to eliminate turbulence and increase total CFM into the turbo inlet adapters. Fabricated with a dedicated laser-cut heat shield, the assembly isolates incoming induction air from radiant exhaust and engine block heat. Filtration is handled by an oil-free, dry-element washable cone filter that flows significantly higher CFM without risking oil fouling on sensitive hot-film mass airflow sensors. The integration includes precision-molded provisions for the factory MAF sensor housing to preserve correct fuel trims without check engine lights, yielding dyno-proven gains of up to 16 horsepower and 37.9 Nm of torque at 3,000 RPM.

What's Included

• Larger diameter intake inlet pipes
• Intake pipe adapter
• Washable oil-free dry filter element
• Laser-cut thermal barrier heat shield
• MAF sensor adapter port and mounting hardware

Technical Specifications

Compatibility

• Mercedes Benz E400 (W212 / W213) 3.0L Bi-Turbo V6
• Mercedes Benz GLE400 (W166) 3.0L Bi-Turbo V6
• Mercedes Benz GLE43 AMG (W166) 3.0L Bi-Turbo V6
• Mercedes Benz GLE450 AMG (W166) 3.0L Bi-Turbo V6

Frequently Asked Questions & Fitment Warnings

Does this fit the W212, W213, and W166 E-Class and GLE-Class?

Yes, this is a direct bolt-on fit for 2016-2018 models equipped with the twin-turbocharged M276 3.0L V6 engine; it does not fit naturally aspirated V6, 2.0L inline-4, or 4.0L/5.5L V8 applications.

Does this intake require an aftermarket ECU tune or oiled filter maintenance?

No ECU recalibration is required as the housing retains the stock MAF sensor profile, and the included dry filter element requires only washing every 20,000 km without applying oil.

The Mercedes Benz Precision Standard

Engineered to meet rigorous European vehicle tolerances, this intake maintains precise stoichiometric air-fuel metering to ensure maximum spool recovery and aggressive turbo acoustics without triggering diagnostic trouble codes.