Mercedes-Benz GLS

The GLS is a full-size luxury crossover SUV with three rows and room for up to seven passengers (six when equipped with the available second-row captain’s chairs). It’s the largest sport-ute in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, measuring about a foot longer than the midsize GLE. In 2021, the German automaker spun off an ultra-luxurious version of the GLS known as the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, which is reviewed separately.

Mercedes-Benz offers the GLS in three main trims, which correspond to the included engine. The entry-level version is the GLS 450, which offers a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder making 362 horsepower. That mill was updated from a V6 to an inline-six configuration starting in 2020; its output remained the same, but fuel economy ticked up from 18 to 21 mpg (combined), according to the EPA. One step up is the GLS 550, which was renamed the GLS 580 in 2020. Its turbocharged V8 engine develops between 449 and 483 hp depending on the model year. At the top of the range is the high-performance AMG GLS 63, which gets an even more powerful turbo V8 initially making 577 hp and increasing to 603 hp starting in 2021. All versions of the GLS utilize a nine-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels via Mercedes-Benz’s all-wheel-drive system, which is dubbed 4Matic. Properly equipped, the GLS can tow up to 7,500 pounds.

Standard equipment on the GLS includes three rows of seating, a self-leveling air suspension, a sunroof, heated front seats, and a power liftgate. With the introduction of the second-generation GLS in 2020, Mercedes-Benz added a slew of additional standard items (which had previously been optional), including navigation, a surround-view camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a wireless device charging pad, a blind-spot warning system, and forward collision mitigation. Notable options include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, leather upholstery, massaging front seats, a panoramic sunroof, soft-close doors, a heated second row, and a rear-seat entertainment system.