2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Review: The S-Class of SUVs?

Many of us like to complain when automakers change the names of the vehicles in their lineup and our homework assignment is remembering them. Even those who work at Mercedes-Benz still get tripped up at times with a new lineup in which SUVs and crossovers start with GL and add a third letter denoting the car size it correlates to. Thus, the former GL-Class becomes the GLS, the S-Class of the utility pack, which leads a lineup that includes the GLE (formerly ML) and the GLC, which used to be the GLK.

Mercedes spent the last two years refreshing its SUV lineup, and the timing could not be better. Utility vehicles of all shape, size, capability, and rung of the luxury ladder are hot hot hot right now. Last year, Mercedes sold 27,700 full-size SUVs, up 4.2 percent from the year before. For 2017, the full-size GLS luxury SUV gets a face-lift only, but the name change might provide a sales bump as well. That is what happened with the GLE, said M. Bart Herring, product manager for Mercedes-Benz USA. “With a new name we got a tailwind we didn’t expect.”

And the GLS also continues to benefit from the “G” factor: the iconic G-Class that dates back to 1979 and is still largely hand-built in Graz, Austria today. The second-generation GL-Class went on the market in September 2012 and became the 2013 Motor Trend SUV of the Year. The face-lifted 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS, built in Vance, Alabama, went on sale this month starting with the GLS450 and the performance-oriented AMG GLS63, followed a week later by the GLS550.

The GLS350d (d for diesel) is coming later this year—whenever Mercedes receives fuel economy certification from the EPA. Mercedes hoped to launch the GLS350d in May or June, but Herring said that with diesel scandals and the EPA doing more testing than before, it’s hard to know when to expect certification given the backlog.

Mercedes chose Gateway Canyons, a resort owned by Discovery Channel founder John Hendricks, as the starting point for a few days of exploring the GLS lineup that has been restyled from the A-pillar forward to conform with the new face of the family. In back is a new bumper, taillights, and exposed tailpipes on some models. The SUV has some new and standard features. Inside the cabin, you’ll find a new 8-inch screen and latest COMAND features as well as Apple CarPlay. Android Auto is coming in a few months, another modern update to a somewhat dated interior. And there are more safety advances from Mercedes’ intelligent drive system. Fold down the second- and third-row seats and the GLS offers 93.8 cubic feet of cargo space.

We drove the full GLS lineup through Colorado’s red rock canyons and Arches National Park in Utah, cycling through the models in ascending order. The GLS350d 4Matic is the base model, with a 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel generating 255 horsepower (up 15) and 457 lb-ft of torque. It is the sleeper—Mercedes never advertises its diesel in the U.S. but those who want it find it—to the tune of about 15 percent of GLS sales.

It is a heck of a starter, with low-end torque, smooth power delivery, a 7,500-pound towing capacity, and a starting price of $67,975 including destination. Our loaded-up tester went for a cool $92,080.

All trim levels have standard 4Matic all-wheel drive, and all but the AMG have Mercedes’ new 9-speed automatic transmission which improves fuel economy about 5 percent. Also new for the lineup is Dynamic Select, offering up to six transmission modes. Switching to Sport lowers the suspension, tightens the steering, and increases throttle response. Go into the settings on the infotainment screen to mix and match your preferences: want comfort steering but a stiffer sport suspension? Done. And there are graphics to illustrate how the vehicle is set and how it is performing.

Move up to the GLS450 4Matic and you get the 3.0-liter V-6 twin-turbo gasoline engine instead of a V-8. There is no compromise here: 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. This is the most popular model, accounting for about half of GLS sales. It starts at $69,625, but our tester had everything from better leather and massaging seats to premium infotainment, lighting, and driver assistance packages, bringing the price to $90,450.

The beauty of the GLS is that regardless of what is under the hood, this seven-passenger vehicle does not feel big or lumbering even on twisting roads. Part of that is courtesy of the “active curve system” to control body roll. And the new computer-controlled air suspension slurps up any irregularities the pavement has to offer. All choices offer enough power—but your definition of “enough” can vary.

If you can afford the step up to the GLS550 with a 4.7-liter V-8 twin-turbo gasoline engine, you will appreciate the 449 hp (up 20) and keep grinning with 516 lb-ft of torque at your disposal. The SUV hits 120 mph effortlessly without feeling like it is going fast. Starting price is $94,775. Our GLS550 4Matic was $99,105.

If you want to be the big dog on your block, the AMG GLS63 stuffs a 5.5-liter V-8 twin-turbo engine under the hood. It harnesses 577 hp (up 27 hp) and 561 lb-ft of torque through a 7-speed automatic transmission and can hit 60 mph in a claimed 4.5 seconds in a 5,750-pound, seven-passenger SUV. When we track-tested a 2013 GL63 AMG, the 550-hp SUV hit 60 in 4.7 seconds. In Sport+ mode, the acceleration comes with a sound track of engine pops. Downshift for the most delicious burps and burbles. It helps you ignore EPA fuel economy figures of 13/17 mpg city/hwy for a combined 14 mpg.

The starting price for the AMG is $125,025, and our tester came in at $126,880 with a few extra goodies including second-row sunshades, trailer hitch, and heated/cooled cupholders.

Will there be a GLS65 in the future? Still to be determined, Herring says. And at this point there are no plans for a GLS coupe.

All in all, face-lifting the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS is not enough to make it the S-Class of SUVs yet, but it is a leader in the full-size utility segment, and it should make for an interesting Big Test rematch against the Escalade. We don’t expect a GLS will ever earn a place in Hendricks’ personal car collection or be displayed at the resort’s Gateway Auto Museum, but the SUV is better off on the road, taking families on discovery channels of their own.

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