Can the Mercedes GLS Facelift beat its German Rival the BMW X7 and its English Rival the Range Rover?
Exterior – Front
So, let’s start with the changes up front and we get a new grill design that is taller than before and has a new bar pattern that has not been used by Mercedes before. it looks more menacing and in your face over the other Mercedes grills. The bumper is also new with bigger side vent surrounds and a bigger central air vent to give this car a more aggressive look. The one thing that hasn’t changed though is the headlights. They are the same as before which makes this car still have a hint of luxuriousness at the front.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and changes are kept to some new colour options and new wheel options that have been taken from newer Mercedes which makes this car look newer than before.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and we get a new set of taillights that are more luxurious than before with a 3-light design just like the front LED Day Time running lights. This makes the car look more premium than the 2 box design like before that copied the GLB. The bumper is the same as before though but it is to be expected. Lets have a look at what engines you can have with the new Mercedes GLS Facelift.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for engine choices there are 3 to go for that is not an AMG Model. Let’s start with the diesel Mild Hybrid option first. This is called the GLS 450d. this uses a 3 litre 6-cylinder engine with 365 bhp and an 18 bhp electric motor attached to it. This is mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox, and it can do 0-62 in 6.1 seconds. It also has 4-wheel drive. Something you would expect on this type of car. For the petrol mild hybrid options there are 2 types. The first on is the GLS 450. This uses a 3 litre 6-cylinder engine with 379 bhp and a 18 bhp electric motor. 0-62 is delt within 6.1 seconds and it is connected to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. The other version is exclusively for the Maybach Version this is called the GLS 600. This uses a 4 litre V8 which is the same one as the AMG car, but it is tuned for more comfort than performance. Because of this you only get 555 bhp and a 20 bhp electric motor but 0-62 is delt within 4.9 seconds and it is connected to a 9-speed auto. For comparison the AMG Version has 610 bhp and a 20 bhp electric motor with a 0-62 time of 4.2 seconds. The price of the new Mercedes GLS Facelift. Starts at 108,070. Let’s have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Mercedes GLS and you get a sense of how expensive this car is. We get quilted style leather and a dual-coloured steering wheel on the Maybach version. We also get high quality materials that you won’t find in any other Mercedes. We get the older dual screen setup, but it is running the latest MBUX 2.0 software that has a one-layer design which means there is no home screen anymore. The graphics are of very high quality which is nice. We also get the newer Mercedes Steering wheel from the S Class as well as a shiny metal finish to the controls. We also get plenty of ambient lighting and premium touches everywhere. Let’s have a look at the rear seats.
Practicality
So, getting into the back we get these premium seats as standard with plenty of adjustment as well as a heating and cooled function. You also get an arm rest and a pillow, and you can even opt for a captain chair style setup which turns this car into a 4-seater. With this setup though we get 7 seats. For the middle row you also get tablets to control ambient lighting, sunshades, and media as well as navigation too. Legroom and headroom are more than enough for this car. Moving into the third row and we do get some legroom and headroom, but I wouldn’t want to do a long journey in the back.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot of the GLS and if you have all 7 seats up you are given a generous 355 litres of space which is a lot for a 7-seater. With the third row folded you get 890 litres which is a huge amount. Folding the middle row down you get a huge 2,400 litres of boot space which is a lot.
Summary
So, in summary then what do I think of the new Mercedes GLS Facelift then. Well, you get a lot of equipment and a the most luxurious German SUV you can have for the money, and I would choose this over the X7 as it feels better and is much more practical too and it even has better looks. Is it better than the Range Rover. Well, it definitely isn’t discrete, and the range rover has better creature comforts but this one wont break down as often.
Exterior 4/5
Interior 5/5
Practicality 5/5
Total 14/15
Model | Mercedes GLS 450 AMG-Line Premium Plus |
Engine | 3.0 Litre, 379bhp + 18bhp, 0-62 = 6.1 Seconds, Four Wheel Drive |
Transmission | Automatic 9 Speed |
Price | £110,070 |
On Sale | Now |
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