New: Mercedes GLS
Luxury trio
Mercedes AMG GLS 63
© press-inform – the press office
At Mercedes Benz, spring is all about the crossover: Shortly after the GLE family, the Swabians are also refreshing the GLS SUV flagship. The changes are manageable but please the adventurous riders.
“In the USA, the classic GLS is the most popular model in the model series,” says Dimitris Psillakis. The wiry manager with the graying hair is a pro when it comes to promoting the Swabian car manufacturer’s products. So he tells us about the famous soccer mums who love the GLS and adds: “In Germany the GLS is a big car, here there are much bigger ones.” When we look in the direction of the 5.21 meter long vehicle and only briefly ” compact class”, the US governor smiled in a friendly and friendly manner under the sign of the star.
Indeed, the seven places between New York and Los Angeles are a trump card when it comes to driving half the team to a game. But that is part of the basic equipment of the GLS. So what’s new in the facelift of the big stilt Mercedes? Of course, the designers have fine-tuned the appearance, but most of the details, such as the four slats galvanized in Silver Shadow, are only noticeable at second glance. The plastic Maybach emblems in the front apron of the luxury Kraxler are more obvious.
The shapers have not only lent a hand on the outside, the MBux infotainment system now also offers more alternatives. Now you can choose between three basic appearance styles classic, sporty or discreet and three modes navigation, assistance and service. The view changes in a similar way to the familiar driving modes: with sporty the color red dominates, with subtle the displays are minimalistic and with classic the driver sees the usual image of the round instruments in front of him. Speaking of driving programs: In off-road mode, the “transparent bonnet” helps with orientation and the fact that the ground clearance has grown by three centimeters. And if there is contact with an enemy, the underbody protection will help. If you want to charge your electronic device, you can do so with two USB ports with powerful 100 watts of power in the rear in the center console.
It is fitting that the engine range is now electrified: across the board there is now a 15 kW / 20 hp boost through mild hybridization, which ensures better drivability. So the power of the two petrol engines in the Mercedes GLS ranges from 280 kW / 381 hp in the GLS 450 4Matic (WLTP cycle 10.2 to 11.7 l/100 km) to 380 kW / 517 hp in the GLS 580 4Matic ( 13.4 to 14.1 l/100 km). The diesels have 230 kW / 269 hp (GLS 350 d 4Matic) or 270 kW / 367 hp in the GLS 450 d 4Matic and treat themselves to 8.0 to 9.1 l/100 km of fuel. With the Mercedes-Maybach GLS, an e-vitamin boost of 16 kW / 22 PS still helps, the performance of the V8 four-liter of 410 kW / 557 PS (consumption 13.8 to 14.1 l/100 km) remains unchanged.
The powerhouse of the GLS family is and remains the Mercedes AMG GLS 63 4Matic+ with 450 kW / 612 hp plus the power of the integrated starter generator (ISG) of 16 kW / 22 hp. With the facelift, Mercedes is giving buyers more standard equipment: including the panoramic sunroof, heated and air-conditioned front seats, the adaptive high-beam assistant, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a switchable exhaust system, the Burmester sound system, the 360 Degree park pilot and blind spot assistant.