Mercedes-Benz GLS
We get behind the wheel of Merc’s big brute
We had driven the third generation GLS in the hills around Salt Lake City in the US of A last year and looked forward to having it in India. The big brute of an SUV is finally here, albeit in different trims and engine configuration. We drive it in and around Noida to find out whether it
matches up to our expectations from – the S-class of SUVs!
The GL as it was earlier known was a big brute with all the characteristics of a truck that they love so much in the New World. It was roomy and comfortable, with exceptional ride quality as it was suspended on twin axle air suspension. We drove one second generation GL all the way from Stuttgart in Germany to Pune in India and on the way had crossed some of the harshest terrain in the mountains of Kyrgystan as well as the highlands of Tibet and the mountains between Nepal and Tibet and were delighted not only by its all-round abilities as well as by the comfort it offered its occupants. However the GLS now has much more competition, both globally and in India as well and we were looking forward to driving the car in India.
Mercedes has had to up the game also to live up to the expectations that adding an S to the GL nomenclature has added. Calling it the S-class of SUVs puts pressure on the vehicle to deliver and meet the heightened expectations from it.
In terms of size it seems that all the vehicles in the world are getting bigger and bigger and it is no different with the Mercedes SUVs. The GLE is a bigger vehicle in this generation so much so that Mercedes is calling it a LWB vehicle, and the GLS is also bigger, albeit by 77mm, even though it does not seem so because of its more modern family design. Both the wheelbase (+60mm) and the length are longer but are masked by the large wheels and the family design respectively.
Compared to its main competition the GLS fits in well between the Range Rover Sport and the BMW X7 with its longer than 5m length. In terms of width it seems to be the biggest of the lot especially with those large rear view mirrors and it is the tallest of the lot as well. Sitting on 21in wheels gives it a good profile view and a sense of stability as well with the broad 275mm tyres in the front and 315mm wide tyres in the back.
The new GLS now has the Mercedes family look by adopting the same design philosophy first seen on the GLC and then on the GLE which means that the face is narrower and the rear is also more rounded, giving a smother impression rather than a boxy rear end. On the front, to retain boldness, the grille is upright and the bonnet has two power domes while there is a skid plate that wraps itself up from under the air dam up to below the grille to re-emphasize the
SUVs off-road antecedents. The GLS gets multibeam LED headlamps up front while the two-part tail lamps at the rear are also LED with a 3-dimensional look. The GLS can accommodate up to 23in wheels though the GLS 450 comes with 21in alloys, and those are about the largest wheels we are getting on road-going cars in the country.
While the looks have become softer and classier with better proportions, the interiors have undergone an even bigger change in a move towards simpler and modern with some of the latest tech. Clean lines enhanced by ambient lighting make it a very pleasant cabin. Gone is the complicated dashboard and instead comes a setup based around the two 12.3in high definition displays, one of which makes up the instrument panel and the other the infotainment system touchscreen that acts as a display for the new MBUX system. The seats themselves are new and enhance comfort, the increase in wheelbase has also resulted in a cabin that is opulent and functional, with space enough even for small adults in the third row, with all the seats being controlled electrically. There are a lot of options available to enhance versatility, and the last row of seats can also be all dropped or raised at the touch of a button from the boot revealing a flat loading area of 2400 litres. The 2nd row can be electrically moved by 10cm, and although internationally there is an option of captain seats in the 2nd row, in India the 450 comes with a bench but with flexibility of moving the seats forward and aft electrically and also adjusting the recline. The shades on the rear windows are also electrically operated from the rear seats as is the blind for the huge panoramic sun roof.
Under the hood the GLS 450 gets an inline 6 cylinder 3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The engine is electrified with the EQ Boost system with energy recuperation and the system provides an extra 22bhp or 250Nm as and when needed. You can read more about the system in the box in this article. The engine is smooth and torque-y. Acceleration is brisk even for the huge behemoth with the broad tyres and all time AWD helping put all the available torque to the tarmac. Acceleration figures are impressive with 100kmph coming up under 7 seconds and the vehicle reaching a top