The wheelbase alone is more than 3 metres, and it weighs 2.5 tonnes. The GLS is a big car 5.1 metres long, over 1.9 metres wide and 1.8 metres tall. All sounds promising, but can the GLS deliver? On the road The Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 are cheaper, but they’re not genuine seven-seaters like this. A Range Rover is much more expensive, says Mercedes. Prices start at £69,100 which, for an S-SUV, actually seems a bargain. Mercedes-Benz sells a V6 and a V8 petrol in other markets, but almost nobody would buy them in the UK, so they’re not offered. The alternative is the bonkers GLS 63 AMG. The 3.0-litre V6 350d produces 258hp, and will take nine in 10 sales. In common with the S-Class, the vast majority of GLS sold in the UK will be diesel. Like much of the equipment bounty, they’re standard on all. There are cool SL-style powerdomes on the bonnet and striking LED headlights. It’s more than just a name change, too this mid-life facelift has given it new bumpers, new lights and a big refit for the interior.Īlthough body panel changes are few, the new front end transforms the look of the GLS, giving it a family look and much more status. So, the GL becomes GLS, the off-road S-Class – a genuine SUV pinnacle at last. It’s renamed all its SUVs to tie them into the passenger car ranges they fit into: GLC is the SUV C-Class and GLE is the 4×4 E-Class. It’s a big ML-Class, rather than an off-road SUV. And in key markets such as the US, it has sold well.īut it has never quite carried range-topper status here. The GL-Class seven-seat SUV was launched in 2006 (this second generation arrived in 2012) as the largest, most premium SUV in the Mercedes range. If the Range Rover is the S-Class of SUVs, where is the Mercedes-Benz alternative? Up to now, it’s been unclear.