The GLS from Mercedes has always been a best seller in terms of premium SUVs in India. Favoured by industrialists, actors and those with the right amount of financial strength to buy one, this has been the biggest, baddest of them all. Although there has been some competition in recent years from arch Teutonic rivals, yet the GLS has always manged to hold its own ground. Now, the latest iteration of the GLS has been launched with many new features and of course a higher price tag.
Let us start with the mechanicals. Petrol power comes from the M256M turbocharged straight-six, with a BorgWarner electric supercharger that can spin upto 70,000rpm to reduce turbo lag. The 48volt electric system coupled to the mild-hybrid system produces an additional 20bhp and 200Nm of torque, resulting in a very impressive 375bhp and 500Nm of torque. The diesel on the other hand is the trusty OM656M that now gets a 36bhp bump as well and about 50Nm more torque. Combined with the mild-hybrid system, the diesel engine now outputs a total of 360 horses and 750Nm of torque! This has been made possible by using Nanoslide cylinder barrels, a technology used by Mercedes-Benz in Formula 1. Both these engines are coupled to the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. The 0-100kph sprint is at 6.1 seconds and top speed is limited to 250kph for both variants.
On the inside, you are now getting a MBUX rear entertainment system, complete with the “Hey Mercedes” voice assistant. Of late, the Burmester sound systems in the Mercs are easily some of the best sounding audio systems in India and the GLS does not disappoint either with a surround system totalling 13 speakers and an output of 590 watts with Dolby Atmos. All of this can be controlled with a MBUX 7.4-inch tablet for the rear, which is part of a rear comfort package. You also get luxury head restraints, a chauffeur package and other benefits. The air vents with chrome louvres are from the Maybach whilst glossy piano black lacquer inlays with contrasting silver flowing lines are from the MANUFAKTUR customisation commission. There is laminated glass with acoustic film for added quietness. You also get the usual gee-gaws: a panoramic sunroof, 64 colour ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, a power second row and you can specify massage seats and a 5-zone climate control. You also get the trick ‘transparent bonnet’ feature, that utilises all the cameras to ‘stitch’ a virtual image that makes the bonnet appear transparent, especially useful for off-roading. Not that any of the owners will ever use it for that purpose…
No doubt the GLS is pricey, but you get what you pay for and there is no doubt that this vehicle is meant for the discerning few. Oh, the front grill is now inspired by the iconic G-Wagon, by the way.
Priced from INR 1.32 crores for the petrol 450 4MATIC and INR 1.37 crores for the diesel 450d 4MATIC.
