PEAK PERFORMER
BIG DOG OF BENZ SUV FLEET GETS MORE POWER AND NEW STYLING.
The largest of MercedesBenz’s growing SUV fleet has been refreshed and has a new name to bring it in sync with the rest of the lineup.
Under the new thinking, the GLA lines up with the A-Class, the GLC with the C-Class and so it goes, up to the GLS, which ties into the S-Class sedan. This, says Mercedes-Benz, reduces confusion.
It certainly removes a lot of the alphabetical clutter, and makes more sense. The closer ties to the company’s flagship sedan also means more of everything.
When the GLS arrives in the first quarter next year, there will be four models — GLS 350d, which replaces the GL 350 BlueTech 4Matic; GLS 450 4Matic (a new model); GLS 550 4Matic; and the brute of the bunch, the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63.
Visually, the changes are subtle, featuring a new front fascia and hood along with a reworked tail. Inside, the biggest change is the adoption of a new eightinch high-resolution screen that houses the COMAND system — phone, navigation, infotainment and setup menus. It can be operated through either the central controller, a controller on the left of the steering wheel, or by voice. The system proved to be fairly intuitive but still lacked a touch-sensitive screen — I don’t understand Mercedes’ aversion to this technology. That aside, the luxurious nature of the GLS finally matches that of its sedan sibling.
The bigger changes are found beneath the sheet metal. Most notable is a new nine-speed automatic, standard on all models except the GLS 63, which uses AMG’s seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. All get the 4Matic allwheel-drive system, which splits the power evenly front-to-rear.
In all cases, the engines have been honed to improve output and economy. The intriguing engine is the 350d; this 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 clean-diesel (and it is clean, thanks to its urea injection system) twists out 249 horsepower and, more importantly, 455 lb.-ft. of torque at just 1,600 rpm. For me it represents the best of all worlds. Well, almost.
The GLS 63 delivers 577 horsepower and a tire-shredding 560 lb.-ft. at 1,750 rpm — that’s enough to rip this brute from rest to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. That’s mind-numbing performance for a full-sized SUV with seating for up to seven riders or, with all the seats folded flat, 2,300 litres of stuff. The GLS 63 gives new meaning to outrageous.
Between the extremes are the 450’s 362-horsepower, 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and the 550’s 449-horsepower, 4.7-litre V8.
All models can be tailored to suit the driving conditions. There are Comfort, Sport, Slippery (as in winter), Individual — which allows the driver to pick the settings for each facet — and Off-road modes. In each case the system tweaks the suspension, steering and powertrain to get the best out of the GLS for any given condition. The tester’s suspension was much firmer in Sport, but not uncomfortable.
In keeping with its sportier pretensions, the GLS 63 earns a Sport+ mode, which mirrors the Sport mode but lowers the ride height by 25 millimetres to finetune the handling and response.
Our route in Austria involved driving one of the world’s best (and my personal favourite) roads — the run up the final stretch of the Timmelsjoch pass to the Italian border. Driving through the hairpins proved the GLS 550 to be well sorted; the air suspension on the test car was augmented with adaptive damping, enabling the fullsized sport-ute to carve the esses and hairpins with a precision that belied its size. It felt much lighter on its 21-inch tires than I expected.
The 550’s 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 and its 516 lb.-ft. of torque had plenty of pull. The advantage to turbocharging is it basically renders the engine impervious to altitude — the run climbed 2,509 metres from base to crest. On the way up, the nine-speed transmission had the uncanny knack of finding the right gear without hunting on the longer climbs. Meanwhile, on the Autobahn, it pulled 140 km/h with the engine revving at just 1,700 rpm. That’s where the improved economy comes from.
Likewise, the 4Matic system proved to be a reassuring companion given the bare, black ice and snow-packed nature of the Timmelsjoch pass. With the exception of one corner, I did not notice any wheel slippage in spite of the conditions.
The GLS has more than its fair share of safety technologies. First is Distronic Plus with Steer Assist; when the cruise control is set, it not only maintains a preset distance behind the car ahead, it also keeps the GLS in the lane by actively steering the vehicle. At speed it requires the driver to have their hands on the wheel; however, at slow speeds it can give the driver a hands-free ride. The system uses information from a 3D camera and radars to determine where the car needs to go and it works from rest to 200 km/h.
The GLS also features Brake Assist Plus with Cross Traffic Assist and Collision Prevention Assist (CPA). The former looks for other cars, bikes and pedestrians and warns the driver of a potential impact. CPA monitors the traffic ahead. Both systems can, if the driver does not take evasive action, bring the GLS to a stop.
While the changes to the GLS are more mid-life evolution than revolution, the end result is greater than the individual upgrades. The powertrains are more refined, as is the cabin and the quality of the ride.
Pricing will not be announced until closer to the GLS’s launch next year.