Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d 4Matic 2019 first drive

When the seven-seat GL-Class was renamed the GLS as part of a mid-life facelift in 2015, it was done, in part, in order to define it as ‘the S-Class of SUVs’.

Given Mercedes-Benz fancies the S-Class as the best car in the world, that’s a lofty goal – and one that, regardless of moniker, the outgoing Mercedes-Benz GLS simply couldn’t live up to.

With the competition growing increasingly fierce in the premium SUV category, from the new BMW X7 to the Audi Q7 and the ever-popular Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz has set out to ensure that this new third generation of the GLS lives up to the strapline created for it.

It has done so with a focus both on improving the driving dynamic of the large SUV and by cramming in the latest tech and even more luxurious comfort.

Mercedes has been especially keen to improve the sense of luxury inside the car, particularly for those in the back. The firm has certainly packed in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class-esque luxury features, with five-zone automatic climate control, touchscreens available in the second row and a whopping 11 USB ports. Mercedes claims up to 87mm more leg room in the second row, which can be fitted with either a three-seat bench or two luxury seats. Even the optional third row (which, Mercedes says, can fit adults up to 1.94m tall) features heated seats. 

Certainly, the rear of the cabin feels spacious, with the caveat that adults might find the rearmost two seats a bit of a squeeze for long periods. Still, those buying the GLS to be chauffeured in comfort will probably stick to the second row, which is offered with a three-seat bench or two individual seats.

In seven-seat form, the GLS houses a 355-litre load bay, rising to 2400 litres with the second and third rows folded (which can be done at the touch of a button).

Predictably, increasing the interior space has involved Mercedes making an already big SUV even bigger: at 5213mm long, the new GLS has grown by 51mm, making it 62mm larger than the BMW X7.

Thankfully, Mercedes didn’t feel the need to supersize the grille of the GLS as BMW did with the BMW X7 – with the GLS looking very much like a larger version of the recently revamped GLE. It’s well proportioned, but its sheer presence is hard to disguise when you see one up close. 

Still, in the wide open spaces of our test location in Utah, and on roads generally built to accommodate supersized pick-up trucks, the GLS hides its size surprisingly well. You quickly become adjusted to it when behind the wheel, helped by the machine’s phalanx of cameras, sensors and other driver assistance systems. That said, we suspect its dimensions might cause some nervous moments on the UK’s tighter roads.