The newly unveiled 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS is a luxury SUV that will soon go on sale in the U.S. In fact, dealers will start taking orders next month, with the first deliveries scheduled to arrive in March.
Like the GL before it, the new GLS will likely set benchmarks in the segment. Hailed as the "S-Class among SUVs," it’s the only full-fledged seven-seater in the European premium SUV segment, Mercedes-Benz says, combining luxury with impressive levels of comfort, agile dynamics, and best-in-class safety.
The exterior features chrome details such as the roof rails, underguard, shoulderline trim strips, luggage compartment handle, and side skirt trim. The Sport package, available with the GLS 550 model, adds unique front and rear aprons, side running boards, body-coloured side flaps, and 21” AMG light-alloy wheels.
The spacious interior offers 680 litres of cargo room with all seats occupied, and as much as 2,300 litres of room when you fold the second- and third-row seats. Meanwhile, state-of-the-art connectivity and infotainment are optionally provided by the latest generation of COMAND Online, including an 8” colour Media Display as well as an intuitive touchpad. Standard services include automatic emergency call, accident recovery and breakdown assistance, and after-sales service. The remote online services (free of charge for the first five years) allow access to vehicle information from anywhere at all times, including the status of windows and doors, mileage, tire pressures, and other diagnostic data.
Other goodies inside the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS include a new 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel in nappa leather, a redesigned instrument panel, and a wide array of customization options.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 255-horsepower V6 diesel (GLS 350d 4MATIC), a 362-horsepower, twin-turbo V6 (GLS 450 4MATIC), a 449-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 (GLS 550) or a 577-horsepower version (Mercedes-AMG GLS 63). Except the last one, each powerplant is mated to a 9-speed 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission.
GLS pricing will be announced at a later date.