GLS is more
More polished, more techy and much more expensive
Don’t be fooled by the use of the word ‘hybrid’ in connection with the entire engine line-up for the revised GLS. This huge, luxurious seven-seat SUV does indeed now have mild hybrids all round, but it’s like asking a desk fan to assist an ocean liner. CO2 emissions remain high, and we averaged economy in the high 20s in mixed driving from the 450d.
We’re not complaining. In the context of alternatives such as the BMW X7 and Range Rover that consumption is par for the course, although the Range Rover is available as a PHEV, tested in this issue, and if it’s clean running you’re after then you could always go for Merc’s EQS SUV. But taken on its own terms, the GLS is better luxury family transport than its electric cousin. And the recent changes are mostly – but not entirely – for the better.
Rather than copy the BMW X7 and ditch loads of physical controls, the interior looks much the same as before, save for some new trim and an updated infotainment system that remains good to look at and easy to use. The fly in that ointment is the new steering wheel with its myriad touch-sensitive icons and sliders. They’re just too easy to trigger accidentally. Catching the volume by mistake is annoying, triggering the cruise control in the same way is worrying. Adults in rows one and two have ample space, and there’s enough room for two adults in row three if you wind the central bench forward a bit. Boot space is useful with all seven seats in place, outstanding with five, and van-like with just two.
In the cabin, at armrest level and above everything feels solidly constructed, and there’s a good mix of leather, wood trim and squishy plastics. Below this, you’ll find surprisingly hard and scratchy materials used on the lower door cards. Petty? Maybe, but I’d expect better in a six-figure SUV.
While plenty of markets get a broader range of options, we get a choice of two 3.0-litre six-cylinder engines, one petrol and
Data
PR|CE
£108,070 (GLS 450d AMG Line Premium Plus)
POWERTRA|N
2989cc 24v turbodiesel six-cyl, nine-speed auto, all-wheel drive
New steering wheel gets fiddly controls
one diesel. This 362bhp oil-burner hits 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds and feels pleasingly muscular from not much past idle. Refinement isn’t quite as good as the X7 and Range Roger, with noise levels that bring to mind a V6 Ford Ranger, but the sound isn’t entirely unpleasant, and the stop/start works with imperceptible smoothness thanks to the mild-hybrid tech.
With weight sitting at a porky 2.8 tonnes and the cleverest suspension only fitted to the top Maybach GLS, the driving experience of the 450d is more Range Rover than X7. Floor the throttle and the nose lifts comically, and there’s plenty of lean in the bends, too.
However, there’s an honesty to how this SUV drives and a heft to the controls which is very satisfying, and allows you to cover ground at pace. Feel and feedback? You’re looking at the wrong type of car.
Body control is far better than you’ll find in an EQE or EQS SUV, and the GLS deals with road imperfections better too, even on giant 23-inch wheels. It’s not quite Range Rover supple, but it’s not far off. ★★★★★
PERFORMANCE
362bhp @ 4000rpm, 553|b ft @ 1350rpm, 6.1sec 0-62mph, 155mph
WE|GHT
2817kg
THE F|RST HOUR
EFF|C|ENCY
32.1mpg, 231g/km CO2
1 minute
Yikes – |’d forgotten how big these are
3 minutes
Toggle switches for the heater and buttons for the heated seats mean a quick defrost for me
14 minutes
This feels better resolved than the last GLS | drove
28 minutes
| wonder how much comfier it’d be with a more modest wheel-and-tyre package
50 minutes
Reaching into a door pocket, it feels like |’ve suddenly put my hand in an entry-level A-Class
PLUS