Published:
21 February 2020The Mercedes GLS' cabin is a likeable environment, but doesn’t feel quite as rich or special as the ‘Mercedes-Benz S-Class of SUVs’ strapline suggests it should. There’s much that gives an impression of the smaller Mercedes GLE, only scaled up in size, which feels like a cop-out in a flagship luxury SUV. Cars like this deserve a more bespoke ambience.
Those with a keen eye will note the array of squared-off air vents set in an attractive brushed aluminium dashboard fascia, while the slender grab handles that protrude from the centre console have also been carried over from the GLE. All the switchgear is largely familiar, as are the shapes and locations of numerous storage solutions dotted around the front of the cabin. But as familiar as the GLS’s cabin is, the same argument applies to the likes of the BMW X5 and BMW X7.
The twin screens of the latest MBUX infotainment suite dominate the dashtop and the Mercedes feels like the more technologically sophisticated seven-seat SUV when compared with its closest German opponents. As a bona fide seven-seat SUV, however, the X7 outshines the GLS for three-row practicality. Both have cavernous second rows (the Mercedes has up to 850mm of leg room and 990mm of head room), but the X7 pips it for third-row space. We have yet to take a tape measure to the BMW, but previous experience confirms adult passengers can fit in the rearmost seats in impressive comfort. In the GLS, these seats are best left for larger children.
