The most of the most, the excess for the excess. So it could be crossed out Mercedes-Benz GLS. We are talking about the largest and most luxurious SUV that the German firm is capable of contemplating. A mass of more than two tons of weight designed and created so that each trip becomes an experience of luxury and comfort.
The GLS is primarily intended for two or three markets. United States, China and the Middle East. In those three scenarios this large luxury SUV feels like a fish in water. Open tracks, wide spaces is what it needs, and for this reason it is not a particularly popular model in the European market. Its high asking price doesn't help either.
The Mercedes GLS appears in the year 2006 before the demand of the American public for a great SUV of European class. Since then there have been three generations that have stepped on the asphalt, each one more excessive and luxurious than the previous one. The last edition was presented in 2019 and later updated in early 2023.. A paradigm of class, luxury and technology that Mercedes is able to equip your vehicles.
Technical characteristics of the Mercedes GLS
At first the Mercedes-Benz GLS is known as Mercedes GL. In 2015 the brand proposed a nomenclature change that affected the entire range, including the mammoth SUV. For the third generation it has the MHA platform, the largest that the brand is capable of conceiving and the same one that is used in its other flagship, the Mercedes S-ClassIn addition Mercedes GLE.
There are no models much larger than the GLS on the market. It is designed so that up to seven passengers travel comfortably inside, and for this it requires large dimensions. 5,2 meters long, 1,96 meters wide and 1,82 meters high. As we say, up to seven passengers can enter its cabin, and that is partly due to a wheelbase of 3,13 meters. An atrocity.
There is only one possible body format, which is the length. However, Mercedes proposes an unprecedented finish from the third generation. It arrives signed by Maybach, and represents the maximum possible luxury. Not only in materials, but also in mechanics and habitability. This version only has four seats and is specially designed for rear seat occupants.
Mechanical range and gearboxes of the Mercedes GLS
Being the most luxurious SUV that Mercedes is capable of conceiving, the mechanics are the most exclusive in the house. The range is short and highlights mainly gasoline. Two diesel versions are added to three gasoline. All units come as standard, how could it be otherwise, a 4MATIC all-wheel drive scheme and a nine-speed automatic transmission torque converter type.
As for diesel units, the range starts with the GLS 350 d. It uses a three-liter inline six-cylinder engine that develops 269 horsepower. The next level is achieved with the GLS 450d, which using the same mechanical architecture is capable of raising performance to 367 horsepower with a maximum torque of 750 Nm. Both mechanics homologate the same average cost; 8,7 liters per 100 kilometers.
The most performance units of the Mercedes-Benz GLS arrive driven by blocks of gasoline. The minimum power is 517 GLS 580 horsepower and his V8 biturbo, from there we went to the unit Maybach, which uses the same four-liter V8 but with 557 horses. And finally there is the excessive AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+ with 612 horsepower for the same mechanic.
Equipment of the Mercedes-Benz GLS
At the time of configuring the Mercedes GLS one realizes what is the luxury that has always been heard of in Mercedes. The hundred-year-old German firm has thrown the house through the window and has decided to give it all with its largest SUV so that each user feels like they are on a luxury boat. In the 2023 update, the multimedia systems are improved, including innovations focused mainly on appearance and comfort.
The GLS comes standard with elements that the rest of its brand brothers can only enjoy by pulling the optional list. To that we must add some high school materials, such as leather and wood. all of it manufactured in an exquisite way and with finishes superior to the traditional Premium concept What do we have from Mercedes? There is only one model that overshadows it in the factory, and that is the S-Class.
But special attention deserves the Maybach finish. The luxury division of the house raises those levels of refinement up to levels comparable to brands such as Bentley y Rolls-Royce. In this case the sky is the limit. Personalization is such that no two models are exactly alike. Each client chooses their own finishes, and as expected, everyone receives the maximum technology that the car and the brand are capable of mounting.
Mercedes GLS on video
The Mercedes GLS of Km 0 and Second Hand
As will have become clear, the Mercedes GLS is only intended for the richest and wealthiest customers. Its market is very scarce in Europe and in Spain. This causes us to have a second-hand and occasion market very devoid of units for sale. But yes there are. Although some accumulate a good number of kilometers, prices start at 52.000 euros for 2016 units. This indicates that their depreciation percentage is very low.
If the second-hand market is devoid of models, the Km 0 market is more. In fact there are no units for sale and for good reason. Being an expensive car to produce dealers do not accumulate units in stock because of the difficulty of finding a way out. For this reason there are no brand new models, much less the third generation, which has barely set foot on the asphalt.
Rivals of the Mercedes GLS
Given is the huge format of the Mercedes GLS that there are not many rivals to face, at least not in the European panorama. If we look at the market we see two clear contenders. On one hand the BMW X7, the most similar to the Mercedes, and on the other the Range Rover, which despite already having a few years behind it, is still one of the favorite options in this market. Below we find other luxury models such as the PorscheCayenne, el Listen Q7 or even the Bentley Bentayga.
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Prices of the Mercedes GLS-Class
It's not small, nor is it spartan, nor is it cheap. The GLS is the culmination of the house, the most of the most, and for this reason the price is to match. In the cheapest of cases the Mercedes GLS-Class has a starting price of 105.708 euros. And that for the 450 4MATIC variant. The most expensive model in the family is the extraordinary AMG GLS 63 4MATIC+ with 612 horsepower. Its base rate starts at 194.039 euros, without offers or promotions. (All prices correspond to units prior to the restyling of 2023).
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