The vast & the glorious

Is the new Mercedes-benz “S-class of SUVS” the ultimate in off-road opulence? GQ motoring editor Dieter Losskarn shoots from 0 to 100, a glass of champers in hand

What do Carl benz, rudolf diesel and Wilhelm maybach have in Common? All three were German engineers born in the 19th century near Stuttgart. Without them, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of experiencing the Mercedes-benz GLSES.

Let’s start with an oil burner that, my dear influencers, is Rudolf ’s namesake and has nothing to do with Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel. I recently enjoyed the 3.0-L. straight-six in the magnificent Mercedes-benz G 400d, equally flawless in the GLS 400d. It’s agile, smooth, and its performance is impressive enough to make it one of the best of its kind in the current automobile world.

An additional R170 000 buys you a trusted 4.0-L. V8 motor in the Mercedes-benz GLS 580 petrol version. But this car’s a bit of a sleeper compared with the Mercedes-benz AMG GLS

63, which produces 90kw more power from the same engine and goes from 0km/h to 100km/h in half a second. On my favourite windy road, Clarence Drive, both cars perform equally well. Does the AMG badge, which includes the engine builder’s signature on top of its powerplant, justify a mark-up of R1.2 million?

When you think you can’t top the AMG GLS 63, you realise you can, not in terms of performance, but in supreme comfort, made possible by the 155kg heavier and more luxurious Mercedesmaybach GLS 600. It’s the most opulent German-badged luxury SUV in the market. There are two other Germans in this segment, albeit carrying a traditional British badge: the Rolls Royce Cullinan, the classiest BMW, the poshest Volkswagen, the Bentley Bentayga, which are significantly more expensive than Wilhelm’s namesake.

Most of its weight gain comes from increased soundproofing in the cabin.

And soundproof it is. The

GLS 600 is more of a chauffeur’s than a driver’s car, featuring a Maybach mode that, if selected, automatically starts the behemoth in second gear and disengages the start-stop function, affording its (mostly VIP) passengers in the rear a smooth journey. nder its

‘I felt far removed from reality, as if inside a rolling oasis’

Under its hood beats another 4.0-L. V8, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t have a V12 as in the Mercedes-maybach S-class, the only vehicle in the Mercedesbenz line-up still featuring this powerplant. Contrary to what some of my esteemed colleagues may have said in their reviews of the GLS 600, this isn’t Maybach’s first off-roader. That honour goes to the 2017 Mercedes-maybach G 650 Landaulet, which features the abovementioned V12 and a couple of other specialities. The brand limited its most superior game-tracking vehicle to 99 units worldwide. The 463kw/1 000Nm sub-brand G is now rarer than a Bugatti Veyron. And if used ones should ever come up for sale, you can expect to pay significantly more than double of its not-sohumble price when it was new five years ago, around 1.3 million. Euros, mind you.that almost makes the GLS 600 a bargain.

I know it’s a chauffeur’s car, but I had to drive it. For easy access, I stepped onto its retractable running board. Once inside,

I felt far removed from reality, as if inside a rolling oasis. There’s a champagne cooler and stainless steel flutes in the rear middle console fridge, and its rear seats are 12cm further back than the regular GLS.

My second-favourite aspect of the Maybach is its grille, my favourite the Mercedes-benz star on the hood. It’s the first-ever Mercedes SUV to proudly display its brand name in this manner.

Which would I choose if

I could keep only one? From those with a V8, I’d opt for the sensible choice, the least conspicuous

580. From all four, I’d have to go with Rudolf. The GLS 400d is the perfect combination of luxury, performance, street cred and everyday usability.